Be Careful, Princess!

[YFWE]

Very interesting chapter! I'm really liking what you've done here, especially the drama with Ahadi and his (possibly dead?) parents. It's intriguing to see how Ahadi survives out on his own now. Keep it up!

[divsalley]

Thank you all for your comments! Really appreciate them! More chapters coming up soon!

[divsalley]

Chapter Three: Comparisons

Mohatu's triumph in his mission to travel along the riverbank to find a more reliable source of water would be the stuff of legend for all Pridelanders. It would be a story passed on for generations to come. Uru had, at first, been very proud of her father's achievement, and had even wondered if she'd ever live up to his glowing reputation. Although her father had never really said anything about her getting into trouble, she'd had numerous admonitions from others in the Kingdom for the same. One day, she and her friends had decided to go to the valley at the northern border... Things were fine until they chased each other right to the top of the smoking mountain... No one got hurt, but Nyuni wasn't happy when she saw them there as they curiously looked inside.

"Wait till I tell your father about this, Uru! He'd told you not to come here," she said stiffly. Uru rolled her eyes as the hornbill took to the skies to find Mohatu. And sure enough, Mohatu was there in a flash. But thankfully, by that time, Uru and her friends were at the foot of the mountain.

"They were right on top, Sire! I tell you, she's getting out of wing! How she'll ever live up to your expectations..;" Nyuni said angrily, but Mohatu silenced her with a look.

"Thank you, Nyuni, but I'm sure Uru will do her best when her time comes," Mohatu said gravely. Uru sighed in relief at her father's comment. At least he stopped Nyuni from humiliating her in front of her friends. He looked at Uru for a minute and then looked at Nyuni. "Nyuni, please leave. I need to talk to my daughter," he told the hornbill, who flew away at once. Then he looked at Uru's friends and said, "Why don't you go back to the meadow? Uru will join you shortly." They obeyed instantly.

"Dad!" Uru said in protest, but Mohatu's expression silenced her.

"Come with me," he said gravely. Uru trudged behind him with her head bowed. They were almost near the meadow when Mohatu finally spoke.

"Uru, I'm not going to say what you did was wrong. No one was hurt, so everything turned out ok... But I am going to ask you to be a little more cautious. I don't want you to get hurt... Nor do I want you to be responsible for someone else getting hurt. Do you understand?" Mohatu asked her. Uru nodded sadly. She didn't want to say anything when her father hadn't admonished her.

"Good... Go to your friends... have a good time... and be careful," Mohatu said as he bent down to nuzzle her. Uru smiled at him before joining her friends. But for the rest of the day, she felt oddly angry at her father. She thought it was his fault that everyone expected such great things from her. He'd set those expectations by being so wise... Why did he have to make everything so difficult for her? Everyone in the Kingdom kept whispering behind her back as to what a troublemaker she was, and how they thought she'd never be a good ruler. She didn't pay any attention to it at first, but as time passed, she realized that her father's reputation was nothing short of exemplary. And she was only a fiercely independent cub who liked to have her share of fun no matter what others said. This worried her a little. It was only a little later that Tahiti realized that something was troubling her daughter.

"Uru... wake up," she whispered in Uru's ear early one morning.

"Wha-?" Uru asked groggily.

Tahiti nuzzled her and said, "Walk with me, please... I need to show you something." Uru got up immediately and yawned. The she and Tahiti slowly walked out of Pride Rock.

"You seem worried about something, Uru... What is it?" Tahiti asked her kindly. Uru didn't say anything at first, so Tahiti pressed on. "Come on, Uru... You know you can't hide anything from me... Tell me," Tahiti said.

"It's... difficult to explain, mom... I just feel so inadequate as a Princess! Everyone expects so much from me! They keep saying I'll never be as good a ruler as he is. I'm not him! How can they expect me to be like him in every way?" Uru asked her mother.

Tahiti looked at her kindly and said, "You're absolutely right, Uru. You're not him, and if everyone expects you to be like him, then they'd be wrong to do so. But you've got to remember that your father and I don't expect those things of you. We love you just the way you are. Don't take them too seriously when they say things like that. Your father and I know perfectly well that whan the time comes, you'll turn out to be a fine young Queen." Uru smiled at her mother with relief etched upon her face.

"Thanks, mom... I'll remember that. It's just going to take some getting used to," Uru said.

"Alright, little one... Now go have some fun. Your father has planned a big outing for you after your bath!" Tahiti said. Uru nodded and scampered away towards the meadow where she'd meet her friends. As she went back to Pride Rock, she hoped very much that she got through to her daughter. Because she knew that if Uru ever lost her confidence, it would be very dificult for her to get it back.

[divsalley]

Chapter Four: Through the Desert

The desert was harsh and cruel. There was no oasis for respite in it. Ahadi's strength, like his will and resilience, ebbed away slowly as he plodded on as fast as he could in the shifty sand. The sun was relentless and unforgiving. It's rays burned his brownish gold pelt and scorched him, as if testing his patience.

"Why?" he thought to himself. What had he ever done to deserve this? At the moment, he had no parents, no home, and he was completely defenceless. He'd never learned to fight, because until his parents died, he didn't have to fight for anything. But right now, he was fighting for his survival.

"Come here, little one," Ahadi heard a painfully familiar voice say. As exhausted as he was, he turned his head at the sound of his mother's voice. But what he saw wasn't a vast ocean of sand, but a beautiful riverbank where his mother lay, waiting to embrace him. He ran towards her with all the strength he could muster. But as he leapt into his mother's arms, he crashed into a sand dune. He got out of there with great difficulty. Disappointment washed over him again. He'd been so sure he'd seen his mother... It had seemed so real... He shook himself out of the vision... His father had told him about it... Sarabi, he'd called it... Ahadi hadn't understood it fully then, but now he did... vividly.

"It is unlike anything I've ever experienced, my son... In the course of my travels, I had to cross a desert. When I was there, strange things happened... I saw things that weren't there... and I realized it only when it was too late," Aku was telling his son.

"Whoa! When did this happen?" Ahadi asked curiously.

"I'll tell you about it later. It would be unwise for me to burden you with the tale just now. Go have fun, now... and be careful," Aku said evasively. Ahadi, though eager to find out about how his father knew about such places, decided it was foolish to argue and get his father to tell him the story and left at once.

Now, as he thought about his parents, he realized that he'd never heard the full tale. As he looked to the skies, he realized it was finally night. He decided to rest for a while, even if it was in the desert. But as he lay down, Ahadi realized that every part of his body ached from ploughing through the harsh sand. He groaned and winced as he lay down that night, thinking of how easy it was for his world to crash down so quickly. Yesterday, he was the Crown Prince of his lands... Today, however, he was a rogue with no home. He was a wanderer with no purpose. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

He woke up suddenly. He felt something shuft under his paws. He looked around to see what was going on. Then to his horror, he realized what was going on as he looked at the eroding sand. A sandstorm was on it's way.

[TheWhistlerify]

It was very fun to read those 2 last chapters in a row!

Agin ; awesomly done

[YFWE]

As always, nicely done. There isn't really much to say on these as they were rather short, of course, but I'm sure they're just setting us up for greatness later on. I'm finding myself rather liking Uru, as well.

[divsalley]

Chapter Five: Should or Shouldn't

Much time had passed after Mohatu's great feat. The old King was now thinking seriously of how Uru was shaping up. He needed to know what kind of Queen she would grow up to be. Nyuni was with him when Uru entered Pride Rock upon being summoned.

"You sent for me, father?" Uru asked. Her pelt had grown darker and richer. She was no longer a cub. She had the strong legs of a lioness and a beautiful face which was oddly but gracefully resilient.

"Yes, I did, Uru. Please sit beside me. I wish to speak with you," Mohatu said as he smiled at her. "You see, Uru, my time is nearing it's end... Your turn will come soon, and I need to know that you will do everything you can to keep this Kingdom safe... This was our ancestors' pride, Uru, and it is mine as well. I've taught you everything I know about ruling over these lands fairly, and it is time you demonstrated how much you've learned. Are you ready?"

"Demonstrate? What does that mean?" Uru asked, a little apprehensive. Mohatu looked at her reassuringly and then he got up. Then he motioned her to follow him. Uru got up and followed him to the very top of Pride Rock. Uru looked at her father, puzzled. Mohatu only smiled at her, and then looked back at the beautiful landscape.

"Tell me what you see, Uru," Mohatu said simply. Uru seemed puzzled at first, but when her father didn't add anything to his statement, she looked back at the Kingdom.

"I see one, big family," Uru said simply. "We may look different, but our needs are the same. We all wish to coexist in harmony. And it is my job to help them do that!" Mohatu smiled at her proudly. Uru returned it with relief. She knew she'd impressed her father.

"You've always been one of a kind, haven't you, Uru?" Mohatu asked with a smile. "Even as a cub, you were fiercely independent! Now I am sure that when the time comes, you will make a fine Queen." Uru didn't say anything at first, but then she couldn't suppress the question she'd wanted an answer to for a long time.

"Father, were you ever singled out because you were the Crown Prince?" she asked him.

Mohatu sighed and said, "Yes, I was... Everyone expected so much of me... and I didn't know if I'd ever live up to those expectations. Decisions beyond your age are thrust upon you sometimes... and I've found that you can only triumph by being true to yourself. Nothing else matters. Promise me, Uru, that no matter what happens, you will remain true to yourself, and never let anything or anyone change you." Uru didn't know what to say. She simply nodded as they went back into Pride Rock. Tahiti was waiting for them. She nuzzled her daughter as she smiled at her mate.

"Come, Uru... It is time for your training," Tahiti said and led her to the plains where Uru could learn to catch her prey. Uru's mind was still buzzing from what her father had told her. It wasn't until her mother had called out to her to pay attention that she realized she'd been running away from her prey. But she made up for it by deftly going in the right direction and cornering the gazelle to let her mother go or the kill.

"That was very good, Uru. You're progressing well. We’d better get home, now... Your father will be worried about you. And sure enough, he was. But the minute he looked at Uru, he smiled and went back inside. Uru smiled to herself.

"He worries too much about you," Tahiti told her. "He's still not used to having a grown up daughter."

As they walked inside, the lionesses were lined up to greet Uru. "What's going on, dad?" Uru asked her father. "Why're they all lined up here?"

Mohatu smiled and said, "In a moon from now, you will be sent off on your first hunt. It's a coming of age ceremony for you... and I wanted to let you know that I think you're ready." Uru ran up to him and nuzzled him.

"Thank you, father! Thank you for believing in me!" Uru said. Mohatu nodded at her and smiled, hoping to let her know how proud he was of her.

"Go get some rest. You'll need to train harder from tomorrow!" he told his daughter. Uru nodded and lay down in her usual corner. Mohatu sighed as he turned to look at his mate.

"She's growing up so fast, Tahiti... I still remember how little she was when she was born! Look at her now! She’s almost ready to be Queen," Mohatu said.

Tahiti laughed as she said, "You did a good thing for her by doing this. She's ready, and she needs to know that. This would be the perfect way to show the pride that their Future Queen is ready for a challenge." Mohatu nodded and looked back at Uru, who was sleeping.

"She worries too much," Mohatu said slowly. "She's so worried that she'll never be as good as her ancestors. What she doesn't realize is that they shared her fears, too. She'll only understand that when she has her own cubs. When she is in my position, she will understand what it's all about. I just hope that she doesn't hurt herself on the way."

"Mohatu... even if she does fall, she'll learn to pick herself up. That's more important. And we've taught her well... All we can do now is hope that she uses that to her advantage," Tahiti said. "Come with me... I need you by my side for a while," she finished, and they walked out of Pride Rock silently.

Morning came soon, and Uru's training progressed. Though Uru's form was dipping, Tahiti knew it was only because she was tense about her first hunt. On a particularly easy run, after Uru failed, Tahiti sighed and hoped Uru would just forget about the ceremony.

"You've done this before, Uru! You can do it again! Come on! Concentrate!" Tahiti said encouragingly. Uru was in a sour mood by the end of it having missed easy game and making silly mistakes like knocking a small pebble into the river while on the prowl.

"You know you have to be very aware of your surroundings, Uru... Turn your surroundings into advantages. You know all this, don’t you? Just don't lose focus, and you'll be just fine," Tahiti told her. But Uru was in no mood to listen. Other lionesses who had witnessed her trial were whispering behind her back. And try as she might, Uru couldn't help but listen.

"She's lost her edge... I wonder what the King would say had he seen that!" one of them was saying to her friend. Uru tried not to think too much about it, but as her training progressed, she realized she was fumbling easily. She felt like this was something beyond her grasp. But Tahiti kept her at it because she knew Uru could do it if only she could stop worrying. What Tahiti didn't realize was that Uru was losing her confidence all over again. She had to redeem herself. Since that wouldn't be possible here, in the Pridelands, she decided to leave on her own when everyone else was asleep. She had to do this on her own.

So that night, when everyone else was asleep, she walked out of Pride Rock as stealthily as she could. She didn't want to wake her parents at all. She was relieved when she reached the mouth of the cave. She stole one glance at her parents, then she was off. She was out to prove her worth to everyone who'd ever belittled her behind her back.

[YFWE]

Very interesting chapter! I wonder what Uru'll find while she's off by herself... Ahadi, perhaps? It'd certainly be convenient, eh? Can't wait for the next chapter, either way.

[divsalley]

You'll find out soon, YFWE! There's going to be more to Ahadi's story before that happens, though...

[divsalley]

Chapter Six: Ni and Kona

"No!" Ahadi groaned as he watched the tidal wave of sand approached him menacingly. His face was as pale as death as he watched it come closer and closer. It seemed like he was paralyzed. Try as he might, he couldn't move a muscle even in the face of imminent death. The wave of sand was feet away when he heard the pounding of paws against sand and he felt himself being carried by the scruff of his neck. Ahadi managed to steal a look at the creature carrying him. It was an old lion with jade eyes, just like his, and a fading brownish gold pelt that Ahadi imagined, had at one time been rich and dark. The lion's mane was thinning, but again, Ahadi was sure that at one time it had been a glorious jet black mane. But before Ahadi could say anything to his rescuer, he felt the wave of sand enclose them. He didn't know if they'd make it out of this alive. This strange lion had risked his life to get him out of here... Why was he helping him? He wanted to find out, but he didn't know if he ever would. The last thing he remembered was the look on his rescuer's face as the wave of sand crashed in on them.

He felt the cold, stone floor brush against his paws as he felt for his surroundings. He awoke with a start. He was alive! He looked around so fast he cricked his neck. He found the lion who'd rescued him. He was smiling at him.

"Easy, there, kid... You were pretty beat up when I found you," the old lion said. "I'm Ni, by the way... And this is my mate Kona," the old lion said as he motioned him to look at a lioness with keen, auburn eyes and a light brown pelt. She was smiling at him, too. Ahadi tried to speak, but no voice came out. He realized he was parched. Kona understood and picked him up and walked to the nearest source of water. On the way, Ahadi looked at the landscape that was spreading out before him. The grass was lush and green, and there were herds everywhere. Antelope were grazing in a meadow near by...The landscape was dotted with wildebeest and zebras... Hippos and elephants were bathing themselves in the river. Kona put him down gently, and Ahadi ran forth to drink to his heart's content. After he was done, he looked at Kona, as if asking her what he should do. She smiled at him and carried him back to the den.

"Help yourself to some food," she said as she placed him gently in front of a carcass. Ahadi suddenly realized he was famished, so he ate. After a while, when he was full, he turned back to Ni and Kona and smiled.

"Thank you... I," Ahadi began, but he couldn't express his gratitude in words. They'd saved his life.

"You can begin by telling us who you are," Ni said kindly.

"I'm Ahadi, Sire,” the young cub said. Ni looked at him curiously, as if waiting for more information. But when Ahadi didn't continue, he didn't pry.

"You need to rest. You can stay here for as long as you like. We'll see what position you'll have in our pride once you grow up. There's plenty of time for that, though... For now, just rest," Ni said kindly. Ahadi nodded at him gratefully and slept. But even then his disturbing dreams about his parents dying did nothing to ease his pain. The face of that horrible, menacing lion haunted him. Ahadi knew that he was responsible for the situation he was in... He was the reason his parents were dead. He would avenge them one day... He wouldn't let this go. He had to find out who did this to his parents.

"Ahadi, wake up!" he heard Kona say. "Wake up, little one!" she said again as she nudged him. Ahadi opened his eyes and found that he was perspiring. He had relived various versions of his parents' death in his sleep. He tried not to look at Kona, but he couldn't avoid talking about it.

"What happened, Ahadi? You were screaming for your mother and father... What happened to them?" Kona asked him. By this time, Ni was awake, too, and was listening intently.

"They... died," Ahadi said sadly. "They died in battle. Two days before you found me, my pride was attacked. My parents were killed, and I ran away because they would've killed me too, if they'd had the chance," he finished. Kona and Ni looked at each other for a minute, then they looked at him.

"We're your family now... I know it's not the same, but... it's not nearly as bad as being alone," Kona said kindly. Ahadi smiled a her slightly, knowing she was right. They were being so kind... He couldn't resist.

"Thank you... I just... need some time to get used to not having them around," he told them. Both of them nodded at him and hugged him, hoping to comfort him.

"When you feel like talking about it, you can always come to us," Ni told him. Ahadi thought he ought to tell them, but he didn't want to relive that yet... He wanted to be away from all of that for a while. He wanted to be a free lion for once... Those days had seemed ages away. The last time he'd run across grassy plains without a care in the world seemed to belong to another era. How long would he feel this way? How long would he carry this weight before he collapsed from the strain of it?

Time passed slowly for all of them. Ahadi was now an adolescent lion. His jet black mane was growing fast; as was his body. His build was changing rapidly into an adult's. To Ni and Kona, he'd become an adopted son. And as grateful as he was, he couldn't forget his vow to avenge his parents. He'd have nightmares about it so often. Sometimes he'd dream being able to save them, which made him feel worse because it didn't happen. The evil face of the lion who'd ambushed his father's pride with his haunted him. One particular night, Ahadi woke up with a start, not knowing how to find him. He walked out of the den as slowly as he could, but he was shocked to find Kona and Ni awake, whispering to each other. He walked up to them apprehensively.

"Why, Ahadi! You're awake! Is everything alright?" Kona asked him. Ni smiled at him kindly, but Ahadi knew he couldn't hide it from them anymore. He had to tell them about his past.

"No, I'm not alright... All this time, I've been here living a comfortable life, while my parents are dead! Their Kingdom is in that monster's hands, and I've done nothing to take it back! I think it's time I told you how I came to be here," Ahadi said. Ni and Kona looked at him eagerly, waiting for him to begin. Ahadi sat down beside them slowly. He took a deep breath and began...

"My parents... were Aku and Zara. Our Kingdom was small... just on the other side of the desert you saved me from. But it was prosperous. Everything was fine until another pride came in and killed them. I ran away from there, knowing they would kill me if they found me. I had to cross the desert... It was the only way I could get away from them. That's when you found me, Ni," Ahadi finished. Both Ni and Kona were stunned. They didn't know how to react.

"You are Aku and Zara's son?" Kona asked him incredulously.

"You know them?" Ahadi asked them, looking at each of them in turn for an answer.

"Do you remember the face of the lion who attacked your pride?" Ni asked him gravely. Ahadi closed his eyes for a moment. He hadn't described the lion to anyone. The minute he saw the face, his eyes flew open again, and then he spoke.

"His eyes were cold and grey... His face was... gaunt and menacing. He had scars on his left cheek. That's all I can remember.

"Mako," Kona whispered slowly. She looked at Ni and he nodded at her sadly. Ni sighed as he looked at Ahadi remorsefully.

"Aku's death... is my fault. Now it is our turn to tell you a story, Ahadi. Please listen," Ni said. Ahadi was all ears as Ni began narrating the tale.

"Kona and I had two sons. For a while it seemed like they would love and respect one another, but when the time came for one of them to assume Kingship, the younger one challenged is brother. The older brother, afraid to hurt him, offered to step down and let him rule. But I didn't want that to happen. Our pride's tradition demanded that the first born be next in line to the throne, and no one else. Not wanting to fuel the feud, I had the Kingdom divided and gave one half to my first born, and the other half to my other son. Again, it seemed like the problem had been resolved... But I didn't know that such darkness could exist in my own son... He left with a few lionesses to take over his brother's Kingdom. But not without a fight. He got that scar from me. Our son's names were Aku and Mako," Ni finished.

Ahadi was stunned. When he finally found his voice, he asked, "Are you telling me... that the lion who destroyed everything I ever knew, is my uncle?"

"I'm sorry, Ahadi, but yes... Mako is your uncle," Kona said sadly. For a while, Ahadi didn't know what to say. Then he got up and leapt in the direction of the river that crossed into their Kingdom just a little distance away... Ni and Kona didn't stop him, but they didn't know what he'd do to himself in light of what he'd just found out.