In The Shadows

It had been days since Heshima's meeting with Scar, and she could now feel new life filling her with joy. She hadn't gained much weight yet, but she knew the other lions of the pride could probably tell the fate of the now full-fledged adult. Whether it her maternal instincts or the fact that she could feel it even in this early staged, she knew there was more than one cub. It brought a smile to her face when she knew that she would serve her king well by bearing his cubs, his litter of kings.

Heshima had been taking it easy for the past few days, staying low in the cool shadows at the bottom of Pride Rock. Many of the elder lionesses whom knew her mother came and checked on her, but she hadn't told anyone of her growing pregnancy. She had the perfect name for the first born, Kishindo, after her deceased brother. For she knew his roar would rock the Pridelands when he grew older. Little did she know, her first born would not be named Kishindo, not by a long shot.

The pale lioness sighed, the lands were not as they were when she was a cub. She didn't want to bring her cubs into this land the way they were. She missed the tall grass, the endless plains, the peace and safety there was with being a part of the Pridelanders. Now, it was barren, bordering on death. Heshima closed her eyes, imagining of the lands they way they used to be, and tried to relax again.

A young cub pads over to the lioness and begins to roll around in the grass, smiling and making a small purr-like growl as he rolls through the dirt. He has no idea of the fate of the Pridelands, and lives oblivious to the dark changes in the land. He pounces on a bug and begins to pad around. He leaps onto it and eats the insect, then begins to claw the rocks beneath his tiny paws. His small stomach begins to growl as he gets hungry. He begins to pad back to Pride Rock.

Heshima watched with utter enjoyment as Mheetu played around, it justified her reason for having cubs. When her sons were born, they would have Mheetu, a strong big brother -half-brother at that- to show them the ropes. It worried Heshima though, Mheetu should be able to start speaking by now, but alas the small cub wasn't. The cub looked so much like his mother, like his sister, it brought a great joy to the female that her cubs would look just like their father if the old folklore about appearances became true.

But the cub started to pad off to Pride Rock, most probably to receive a meal from his mother. Heshima enjoyed the company of the small cub, and she wasn't ready to lose it just yet. "Mheetu, come over here," She had to tell him the news, about him being a big brother, she knew he wouldn't understand yet. But soon, he would, and once he did Heshima would remind him again and again about his new responsibilities. If the cub didn't respond, Heshima would pad over and gently pick him up the by scruff of his neck, carrying him back to the shadows to give him a bath either if he responded or not.

It was good practice for Heshima, a lioness like her could really need it. For once in her life, the pale lioness was at ease with herself, she wasn't as shy around Mheetu as she was around the other lions. The thing that caught the lioness' eyes the most was the cubs own bright jade eyes. They shone like jewels even in the shadows. A nuzzle was given whilst bathing the youth and a whisper escaped her muzzle, "Mheetu, you're going to be a big brother soon,"

Mheetu smiles and waits as she bathes him. He won't utter words yet, but soon. Soon, when his father saw him again, he would surprise everyone by speaking his father's birth name, told to him by his aunt. He relaxes as the lioness bathes him, only catching a few words of the lioness's statement. He looks out at the dead land, what he called home with happy eyes. He relaxes and subconsciously knows about Heshima's unborn cubs. He relaxes and waits for another look at his father, off doing who-knows-what.

A smile crossed Heshima's face when she saw Mheetu stare onto the dead lands seemingly searching for something. Her maternal instincts could tell that he was searching for his father, for Scar. It gave her a small hope that Scar would be a great father to her cubs, especially if they were sons like the light hued cub. Her bright violet eyes closed as she loosened her grasp on the cub, giving him the capability to run off if he wanted to.

"Your father is a lucky lion, he has you as a son," A small twinge in her stomach made her realize that her cubs had probably reacted to the words, and in her mind she noted that Scar was lucky to have them as cubs as well. But then, a thought crossed her mind. Who would be the king once Scar stepped down? Mheetu? One of her cubs? The cubs of another lioness was always possible. The thought scared her slightly, but she hid it so the cub would not worry about the elder lioness.

The day had been aggravating for the dark king. A duo of lionesses had avoided his advances at the water hole. Perhaps another day, he comforted himself, and perhaps if he could catch one of the two alone, with a little convincing... But that would have to wait, for the sun was unbearable now, and his spirits had been dampened. His black maned head hung low, and he panted softly, silently cursing the wretched, eternal heatwave.

He made his way back to Pride Rock in silence, eyes focused on the huge stone monument. Over the years, he had seen his own father reign over the kingdom from the sacred spot. He had also seen his brother take Ahadi's place as king, the animals that had gathered for Mufasa's coronation. Even more had been there for the presentation of Simba, though Scar had avoided the event entirely. Now, the herds were so scarce, it was sometimes hard to remember how great it had once been. The younger generation would never realize what they were missing.

What would be left of the kingdom when his time was through? What kind of a place would he be leaving to his son? The thoughts plagued his wary mind as he neared Pride Rock. Mufasa had been a fool to produce only one cub, and it was a mistake Scar was not going to make himself. Already, he had Mheetu, and he daydreamed of the litter of robust boys Heshima would give him. He spotted the lioness first, lounging in the shadows. Then he saw little Mheetu, and a brow rose questioningly. Why wasn't Sarafina tending to her own cub? It struck him as odd to see the pair together, to think that Heshima would show tenderness to the cub that would someday be competition to her own offspring to the throne. Regardless, he grinned at the two as he approached, taking a slow seat before Heshima. "I see your talents as a mother come naturally, my dear."

Mheetu knows this moment like the tip of his tail, having practiced it over and over again in his mind, preparing for it. He's been testing different scenarios and is about to begin. First, he'll need to wait for the two to finish conversing.

His small emerald eyes drift away from the two adults to observe the obviously dieing lands that he inhabits. His little nose takes in the many scents of the plains, mainly hyena, which he would sneeze in disgust at if his father weren't right there with him. Instead of smelling that atrocious scent again, he begins to plot his action of speak. He waits for the pristine opportunity to speak. He can feel a tiny bit of fuzz growing on his forehead, and it bugs him. Still, he's forced not to do anything and plot as the adults will engage in conversation.

*Being a cub amongst adults is boring....* he thinks. He then begins to recite the work "Taka" in his mind until he forgets to keep his hearing alert. He tunes it back silently as the two lions engage in whatever it is they were rambling on about. Using words your father knows is very useful, he notes.

As Heshima was admiring the cub in her paws, she noticed another presence. Pausing for a moment, the female shrugged it off as nothing, but was quickly mistaken for her king had come upon the duo. He seemed to walk in a slow, sluggish motion that made Heshima look over all his features again. She knew she picked the right lion to mate with, for Scar would give her amazing cubs. The lioness was falling for the elder male, but in the back of her mind, she had to remember she was not his mate. Just someone who will bear him cubs, heirs even.

The thought brought a sadness to her face, visible to all who might question it. But it vanished once Scar had commended her on her motherly behaviors towards Mheetu. The female closed her eyes and bowed her head, "Thank you sire, although I wish that my instincts did not have to take all the credit," Once she was finished with her statement, Heshima raised her head and stared into her king's emerald eyes, the same eyes that Mheetu had, and the same eyes she wished her sons would have.

A litter of kings, the thought ran through her head once more. It made her smile, but also look to Mheetu. He was older, surely he should be chosen by birthright. But Heshima knew that wasn't going to be the case, for she had deduced that her king did not care about the order. Something inside her was telling her it was true. Turing back to the cub she smiled, "He'll be a great big brother, even if only half," The lioness was happy, her cubs would have someone to play with outside of their litter, they would have Mheetu, half brother but also friend.

"I can feel it my king, there are more than one cub,"

What would the young cub think of his future siblings? Heshima's comment made him cringe visibly. His own experience with an older brother had clearly been strained from the start, and it had ended in the most devious way possible. It had taken effort on Scar's part to become an only child, the only conceivable choice for the monarchy. Would his own children be so eager to be his heir? It was hard to imagine someone so small and innocent growing up to be a murderer, like his father, but Scar had been a tiny cub once, too.

Heshima's prediction for a litter of multiples brought a slight smile to the dark king's face. Only time would tell what would come of the mating, but much like the mother of his unborn offspring, Scar had high hopes. With a handful of sons vying for his approval, Scar would be assured of his own legacy. His gaze rested on little Mheetu now. He reached a paw out to muss his son's bud of a mane. The idea that Mheetu looked like Nala flickered into his brain. It was a disturbing thought.

He was still able, even if unwilling, to recall the cub's older half-sister when she had been a young thing herself. Thoughts of the life that might have been if Simba was still around plagued Scar, even to this day. He had worked too hard to be haunted by the ghosts of the pasts, and he tried to ignore the memory of young Nala, playing with her betrothed. Sarafina's eldest was now an adult, and a beautiful lioness she had become. But she avoided the tyrant king at all costs, much to his chagrin. She had grown up to be a strong hunter, and Scar had hope that Mheetu would be just as strong and capable in the years to come. His attention now focused on Mheetu, he forced a smile as he looked down at the boy. "Is she keeping you from your mischief, Mheetu?

The small cub looks back at the brown lion, who he knew had asked him a question from the way he was looking at him. He answers quickly "Of course, Dad." He smiles as he lets the suddenness of his reply sink into his fathers fur. He laughs as he looks at his father, and begins to chuckle lightly as he prepares for his fathers reaction. He braces himself for the bewildered reaction of his father. Once again, he begins to chuckle, as he waits for Scars reaction and the lioness as well. He begins to imagine if his deceased cousin was there to hear him speak, to run over to his sister, whom he knew existed, and to tell her excitedly about her young sibling's first words. He sighs mentally. *Remember, Simba is dead. Not coming back, crushed, trampled.* he beats himself.

A cringe was visible on her king, and Heshima quickly tried to apologize even though she had no idea what caused it to be so, "Sorry sire," the apology was quiet, barely audible. But to her it meant the world, she apologized for everything. And especially since she was now carrying his cubs, she didn't want to disappoint her king. But what came next surprised her, Scar was actually being a father, he was- talking to Mheetu! There was still hope in her mind, hope that Scar would become a great father and look out for her cubs. No, their cubs.

Then, Mheetu spoke, his very first words. Clear and fluently, it was like he had been practicing them his entire life. It must have been a surprise for not only her but for Scar. But Heshima frowned, it shouldn't of been her that was hear when Mheetu finally spoke. His mother, Sarafina, should have been the one to bath him, to hear him speak. The lioness nuzzled the small cub gently,

"So you finally speak!"

(OOC: Sorry about the small reply, been hectic. )

Jade eyes widened in surprise as the small cub spoke for the very first time. To hear the title Dad applied to himself, Scar was taken aback. His son's clear dictation was rather impressive for someone so young, and a wide grin formed across Scar's sharp muzzle. He had never been called Dad before, and he felt a surge of pride as he looked into Mheetu's eyes, so much like his own. As for Sarafina, Scar assumed she was out with the hunting party. Clearly, in her delicate condition, Heshima could not join them. Scar would not even consider risking his unborn litter.

Heshima and Mheetu were the perfect image of mother and son regardless, and Scar felt more certain than ever that the cream colored lioness would provide him with a litter of clever, cunning boys. He imagined they would be just like their dear old dad, and the thought made him just about giddy... Or as close to giddy as Scar was capable of feeling, anyway. He lowered his body so that his face was directly in front of Mheetu's, twisted smile still spread nearly ear to ear. "What else is on your mind, son?" Naturally, he didn't expect the cub to have anything else to say, but he had surprised the adults already that day. Idly, the king wondered what happened within the tiny brains of the youngest members of the pride, if they had any idea what was happening around them.