The Lion King 3: Joined Prides

Chapter 8

Young Love

Beba’s P.O.V.

It’s been about a week since Afua, our cub Shizu, and I joined Simba and Nala’s pride. Everyone is still grieving Simba’s death, but today Kiara and Kovu should be taking leadership of the pride finally. Shizu will be old enough to watch this amazing event with us and I hope she will be able to adapt to living in a pride easier than I have. It’s different. Cheetahs like me are normally solitary creatures, but I fell in love with Afua and I would do anything to be with him.

I sigh, and I feel sharp claws on my tail. I look and I see Shizu is awake from her nap and already happily playing. She’s a bit older than some of the other cubs, but she’s around the same size as them. She giggles when I flick my tail side to side, encouraging her to continue playing. Her pale blue eyes sparkle with the amusement of me playing with her. I smile to myself as she jumps onto my neck trying to tug on my ears.

“Now now Shizu, I think you’re getting a bit rough with your mum!” I lick her side as she slides back down.

“But Moooom!” She whines in the childish voice that cubs have, “None of the other cubs can play with me yet! They’re all too little!”

“Well… That isn’t quite true Shizu,” I say thinking.

“It isn’t?” Shizu tilts her head, obviously confused.

“Of course not hun! Ryder, Dae, and Paka are all a week and a half older than you. Skyler, Blake, and Lani are a week older than you. Lio and Napa are only half a week older than you Shizu!” I smile. “And you even have someone who’s your age.”

“Who??” By now, Shizu was already squirming with delight.

“Little Miah is the same age as you!” I laugh at her, already squealing with the thought of making friends.

“Wait mum, what about Kanu and Aura?” She suddenly asks.

“Oops! How could I forget about the heirs to the throne!” I shake my head at myself for forgetting about those two little furballs. “Kanu and Aura are a week younger than you Shizu.”

“Yay so I’m not the youngest!” She squeals before she continues. “Mum, what are ‘heirs’?” She asks me.

“Heirs are the children of the pride leaders. In this case, the pride leaders are Queen Kiara and King Kovu, so they have two potential heirs to take their place as leader when they die.” I explain as best as I can.

“So… Kanu is like the prince, and Aura is like the princess?” She asks in her innocent cub voice.

I nod, “That’s exactly what they are.” I get to my feet and stretch. “Now, how about we go meet the rest of the cubs?”

“Oh yes!! Please mum!” She smiles, showing her sharp baby teeth.

“Okay, I’m going to carry you to them.” I pick her up by her scruff, ignoring her cries of complaint.

“But mummmm! I can walk just fine!” She whines.

I just ignore her and I take her to meet the rest of the cubs, who happened to be outside for the first time, playing together in the lush grass below Pride Rock. I walk to them and I gently set Shizu down in the grass next to them. For the first time in her life, she’s quiet and crouching as low as she can, trying not to be seen.

I lean next to her ears. “Shizu…” I whisper, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re just other cubs.” I push her forward with my paw, making sure she can’t hide from the other cubs.

“Uh h-hi m-m-m-my name is Shizu…” She stutters, obviously nervous.

“Shizu, I’m going back inside now. Have fun honey!” I leave reluctantly, knowing she’s being shy at the moment.

Shizu’s P.O.V.

I cower low to the ground as I watch my mum leave me alone with the other cubs. I was scared for the first time in my life for being judged on how I look. I wasn’t a full lion like them. I’m a half breed. My father a lion, my mother a cheetah.

I get startled when one of the other cubs comes straight up to me and says, “Hi! My name is Lio!” He had apple-green eyes, a dark red-brown pelt, and a reddish-brown hair tuft. He was actually pretty cute. He was nice to me too.

All I could do was blush and look away.

“What did I do wrong?” He asks me trying to look me in my eyes.

“N-nothing… I-I’m just shy… That’s all.” I say giving a shy smile.

“Looks liked your brother has a crush, Napa!” Teases a pretty snow-white female cub with a long, white hair tuft and pale blue eyes.

“Just ignore Paka… She’s just joking around.” Lio gives me a friendly smile, giving me butterflies. “Let’s have the rest of you introduce yourselves!” He gives the others a look to tell them to go ahead.

The first lion cub to speak had a real-light silver pelt with a long white hair tuft, and silver eyes with white flecks. “Hiya, my name is Dae.” She said softly. “Paka is my sister. We are really different at times. Oh and this is my brother, Ryder.” She puts her paw on a dark grey, muscular lion, with dark blue ocean eyes.

I nod to them and a few other lions step forward. “My name is Aura.” Says a light reddish-brown female cub with a long, fluffy, reddish-brown hair tuft, and sky blue eyes. “My brother is the reddish-brown lion cub with a dark red hair tuft and emerald green eyes. His name is Kanu. My cousin is the pale light-tan, muscular lion with the bushy light-tan hair, freckles and pale blue eyes. Her name is Miah.”

I again, nod my head to them, waiting to know who the other three cubs were.

“My name is Skyler.” A light brown lion cub, a thick brown hair and piercing blue eyes says smiling. “My sister, Lani, Is the lion cub with the light golden-yellow pelt, light golden-yellow fur on the top of her head and electric blue eyes. My brother, Blake, is the other light-brown lion cub. The only difference is, he doesn’t have a hair tuft like me, and he has electric green eyes.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you guys!” I say, trying to sound happy. But Lio sees right through my lies.

“Hey, uh, Shizu… Meet me here tonight.” He whispers in my ear as we all go back to Pride Rock for our dinner.

I look him in his bright apple-green eyes and I nod my head. I give him a gentle smile before I go to eat what my mom got us for dinner. “Bye guys!” I shout before whispering, “Bye Lio.”