Brothers Before Blood (Lion King Mufasa Fanfiction)

Prologue

The sun that once laid high in the sky shifted to allow the moon to take it's place. It shone down brightly on the African savannah in many mysterious ways. It caused the water to flicker and cast long shadows on the land. There was a peace that the night brought that the day couldn't scratch the surface of.

However, the peace that the night brought wasn't felt by every animal on the savannah. For, in the darkness, a scream sounded.

A powerful male lion rushed to his paws and prowled forward, his tail slightly lifted from the ground. He charged toward the entrance of Pride Rock before an amber colored lioness with brilliant eyes intercepted in. She spread as far as possible with her muscles rippling. "Let me through Lilvina," growled the lion with menace clear in his voice.

Lilvina pushed her chin forward as she lifted her head to meet her king's gaze. "There's nothing that you can do for her."

Another wail rose up from the den. The rest of the lionesses murmured in worry as they pulled their heads together. They cast glances at their king before automatically turning their attention back to their paws. 

"Can't you hear her," protested the lion as he rose on his toes and tried to crane his head to see over hers. "She's in pain! There has to be something that I can do to help!"

Lilvina's eyes glowed in understanding. She stretched out her neck and touched her nose to his ear. "I know, Ahadi, but you will be of no help to her. Besides, having kits is the most natural thing in the world."

Ahadi hung his head. "I suppose, but-"

"But, Abaku is with her and as soon as she's ready, then you can go in, alright? Not before," she murmured sternly. She took a step forward and pushed her head against Ahadi's shoulder firmly.

He reluctantly allowed himself to be turned away and led in the opposite direction. The two of them settled side by side next to the remaining lionesses. He settled down and rested his head on his paws. His gaze continued to travel to the den as another cry rose up.

"When can I see them," shrilled a young lioness as she bounced beside her mother eagerly.

Her mother shot out a paw and pulled her forward. "Hush," she chided sternly. "You can't see then until they're much older, little one."

"Yeah," added her sister with a small sneer. "You'd probably squish them, Sarabi."

"Would not," protested Sarabi as she leaped for her sister. The two of them rolled around at their mother's paws. She watched them patiently as her own eyes started to close in exhaustion.

Ahadi watched them with a look of affection on his face. He tried to ignore it as he rested his head back on his paws. He continued to stare at the den before Abaku padded out of the den. He gave a small flick of his tail before he padded over to Ahadi.

Ahadi rushed to his paws as horror showed on his face. "Is she alright? I hear her cries and-"

"She's fine," interrupted Abaku with a slight purr rumbling in his throat. "Everything went well."

Ahadi let out a breath of relief. "But, what about the yowling that I heard earlier?"

"That's natural. Kitbirth is always painful for lionesses, but they always have the strength to make it through," replied Abaku as he turned his head. He flicked his paw as a deep purr rolled in his throat. "Are you ready to meet your sons?"

Awe caused Ahadi to stop when he heard a deep pattering in his chest. He strode over to Abaku and pressed his shoulder against his closest friend. "Don't be nervous," whispered Abaku in his ear. "Uru will scent that and it'll make her voice."

"Alright, I'm not nervous," he lied.

He opened his mouth to scent the air as he heard a few whines followed by the deep, rumbling purr of his queen. He brought himself over to Uru without another thought. He lowered his head as he approached. "Uru?"

Uru's head lifted from her nest. Her eyes gleamed in delight at the sight of her mate. "Ahadi, come came!"

"Of course I did," rasped Ahadi as he took a shaky step forward. "Abaku wouldn't let me in, but I've been waiting the entire time. I wanted to come in, but I Abaku wouldn't let me."

An amused purr rolled behind I'm. Ahadi turned around in surprise to find Lilvina standing behind him. He walked past her swiftly as she stopped and pressed her nose against Uru's cheek. "A birth is no place for a lion." She flinched as Abaku cleared his throat. "Well, except you. You're a healer. It's your job!"

"Uh huh. I guess tat I'm out," he joked as he stretched out his tail and flicked it against Uru's shoulder. "I'll leave you to it."

With that he padded from the den. Ahadi took her place in nervousness. He peered over her flank at the two kits that sucked at her underbelly. He let out a deep breath as he arched his neck and touched his nose to Uru's cheek. He buried his nose into her cheek and purred loudly. "I'm so proud of you."

"Me," echoed Uru in surprise. "I didn't do anything."

"That's not true," argued Ahadi defiantly. He gave his chin a small nod. "I know that I couldn't have done this. You gave us two handsome sons."

Uru licked his cheek. He lowered his head and gazed at her mate. "I think that it's about time to name them," she pointed out.

Ahadi glanced at the darker furred cub, but his eyes instantly turned to the golden lion. He was almost twice the size of his brother and he pressed against his mother's underbelly with firm paws, already glistening with the hint of claws. "He's powerful! He will be the new king, I can just tell."

"Really," inquired Uru with a raise of her eyebrow. "And what you like to call this, new king?"

Ahadi thought for a moment before he puffed out his chest in pride. "Mufasa," he replied. He stretched out his paw and stroked it gingerly against his shoulder. "My little king."

"And what of his brother," Uru asked.

Ahadi shook his head to clear it as he looked at his scrawnier son. He was much darker than Mufasa and had almost no strength to him. In fact, when Mufasa pushed him for a better angle at his mother, the other cub shied away without so much as a whimper. He narrowed his eyes in distain. "He won't grow like Mufasa. There aren't many places for a male lion in this pride."

"What about Abaku or Maduro. They're lions and they thrive here," argued Uru.

Ahadi snorted in distain. "They have use here! Abaku is the healer. Maduro watches Sarabi and Authrua while Pikra needs a break and helps Abaku when asked."

"There's no reason that he can't be of use to. There's other ways for a male lion to make his mark besides being king," reported Uru fiercely.

Her mate leaned forward and licked his cheek. "Sure, my love. It's a possibility."

"We still have to give him a name," croaked Uru distracted.

Ahadi blinked his eyes as he shook his head. "Yeah, okay. How about Taka?"

"Taka," echoed Uru. Her eyes appeared troubled as she glanced down at her son. He had crawled forward and attached himself to suckle, far from his brother. "Taka."

Ahadi purred warmly as he laid behind her. He licked her cheek for a moment before he rested her head against her shoulder and yawned tiredly. His eyes started to flicker in exhaustion before they finally closed with his tail intertwined with hers.

Uru stayed up a while more with her gaze on their two sons. Her body ached in exhaustion from her difficult birth, but her mind was troubled. I hope that he doesn't continue to show favoritism toward Mufasa more than Taka. They are both special in their own way. I hope that he can see that.

She quieted her troubled mind as she rested her head on her paws. She pinned her ears against her head and sent a silent prayer for the future.