~𝒯𝒽ℯ ℒ𝒾ℴ𝓃 𝒦𝒾𝓃ℊ: ℳ𝓎 𝒮𝓉ℴ𝓇𝓎~

~Chapter 2~ Just Cubs

Season 1

Three months later, I was playing with my best friend, Adira. She was super supportive and understanding. She was from my pride so it was okay to hang out with her. Because I was only three months, I wasn't the total height of a lioness cub yet. I would look like that when I'm six months old. My best friend, Adira was four months old so she was a little older than me but much to my surprise, I was stronger than her. I thought of her as an older sister. She wasn't taller than me, though. She was actually the same height. Every month before my birth I got a little prettier. At least, that's what everyone told me. "Tag! You're it!" I exclaimed happily as I ran away. Adira laughed and then ran after me. Close by, Mom and Dad watched us play together. "Do you think we should tell her?" Dad asked my mom with a concerned look on his face. "About that thing or the other thing?" Mom asked Father. "About him," Dad said. Mom's ears perked up and then said, "Not right now. Look at how much fun she's having. We wouldn't want to spoil that." Dad looked at Adira and I and he smiled. "You're right. But why would you even think I was talking about the other thing?! She's not ready for that yet." Dad said. "She's not ready for either of them yet. We need to promise each other that we won't tell her about any of that stuff until she's older." Mom said. Dad lifted Mom's head up to his eye level with his paw and said, "When it's a promise to you, you know I'll keep it." Mom smiled a bit and she lowered her ears as she rested in Dad's paw.

A few minutes later, Adira and I were done playing tag and we sat a little far away from the end of the Southlands. We both gasped. "Look at that place. I wonder what's over there. Any cute lions...?" Adira said nudging me a bit. "Yeah, but you know the rules, Adira, the Northlands are too dangerous for Southlanders, especially young cubs like us. We're not even full sized cubs yet. We're still a bit small as I was when I was presented to everyone of becoming the future queen." I explained. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I wish I could just escape the real world and go into my own fantasy." Adira e. "That was a great speech." I said sarcastically. "Oh, haha, whatever. I'll go into the unknown someday, just you watch!" Adira said. I rolled my eyes and said, "Was that another speech?" Adira growled and playfully fought with me by pouncing on me. I laughed as she was play fighting me. She nibbled my ear and I yelped. "Ow," I said rubbing my ear. Adira stopped right when she heard me scream and got off of me. "Oh, my gosh, Kia, are you okay?" She asked putting her ears down feeling ashamed for what she did. I sniffed then laughed. "Got ya!" I laughed and then ran away back to South Rock. Adira perked her ears up and then ran after me saying, "Hey! You liar!" We both laughed as we ran back to South Rock with Adira chasing after me. Adira's coat color was a grayish brown color. Her eyes were hazel green and her nose was an ashy brown color. Her underbelly, eye shades, paws, and muzzle were all whitish grey. Her tail tuft was a dark caramel brown color.

On the top of South Rock, my dad was sitting. "I'll see you later, Adira! I'm gonna go see my Dad." I said. "OK, bye, Kia," Adira said smiling at me as she ran back to her mother, Asha. I ran up to South Rock and sat at the edge of it with my father. "Hi, Dad," I said smiling at him. "Hello, princess," my dad said. "What are you looking for?" I asked. "Not for. At." My dad said. "Huh?" I wondered. I had a confused look on my face. Dad chuckled a bit then said, "I'm not looking for something. I'm looking at something." "What?" I asked. "The Northlands," he only said. I glanced at the Northlands from South Rock and then looked back at my dad who had a neutral expression on his face. But I could tell what he was thinking so I went under him and nuzzled his leg. I played the tuft on his leg for a little bit. He chuckled then said, "You must never go to the Northlands." I mouthed every bad thing he said about the Northlands. I got so caught up in it, he finally caught me and said, "Kia, are you listening?" I opened my eyes widely and said, "Oh, yes, I'm listening. Sorry, Father." My ears went down a bit. "This stuff is important, Kia. One day you will be queen. And you'll need to know this to tell to your children." I sighed sadly and said, "I know," I was a little nervous about becoming queen. But that wouldn't be for a very long time. My parents were still pretty young. My dad put his paw on my head and said, "Your animals will need to know they can count on you to protect them and defend the circle of life." I was looking down sadly. Then I looked up at him and said, "Defend the circle of life? Why would I need to do that?" "You'll know when you're older." Dad said smiling at me. "But, Dad, I-" I was cut off by my grandmother, Athena walking out of the den saying, "Are you warning Kia to stay away from the Northlands again?" Grandmother asked. I smiled big at her and then mouthed to her, "Help," She noticed me mouthing that to her. "Yes, I'm trying but she doesn't seem too interested in learning." I looked at Dad and put my ears down. "She just needs a break," Grandmother said to her son. I left with her as we walked down to the bottom of South Rock. "Thanks for gettin' me out of there, Grandmother Athena." I smiled. "It was my pleasure," Grandmother said and then walked away. I raised my eyebrow and smiled. My grandmother was a very wise lioness. Even though she was old, she was loved by everyone. To me, she was beautiful. Her eyes were a red violet color along with her coat color being the same as Adira's. She looked more like Adira than anything. Her nose was light pink and she had a whitish grey colored underbelly, paws, muzzle, and eye shades. Her tail tuft was blackish brown but it mostly looked like it was black just like her son's mane and tail tuft. I loved my grandmother so much. My father looks more like Grandmother Athena's husband, my grandfather, Badru. But he's not with us anymore. He completed his journey in the circle of life a long time ago. Like ten years before I was born.

Well, hope ya'll enjoyed this part! Goodnight!

That's how big Kia/I am right now. And that photo above by the title, just pretend that's Kia/me and Adira and we're a bit smaller. I'm the lightest one.