I.

A golden-yellow lion stood in the lifeless desert as storm clouds formed like specters of death over the scene in front of him. Bodies, drenched in fresh blood, lay in a partially scattered heap not thirty feet from him. There was another presence there; the only other sign of life that could be seen for miles. It was a cub. Normally, a male lion killed such potential threats to their gene pool, but Ahadi had quickly put together he was not the first partcipant to appear here this day.

He had watched as the hyenas Mohatu had so successfully kept at bay during his reign returned with avengance. Though he had been prepared to face them, even laying down his own life if it meant protecting the ones he considered his family, there had been an even greater threat... but not to him. Lions, a motley, skinny lot not even worth picking apart for their rawboned hides as it would still mean certain starvation, had faced off with the surprisingly well-fed hyena intruders.

In Ahadi's eyes, they were all intruders.

The battle hadn't lasted long and the lion had hidden behind a small collection of boulders and scrub. While the majority of the hyenas had taken off, none of the group of 5-6 lions managed to pull through with even more then a few kills. Ahadi had shaken his head, unsatisified with the lack of effort on the lions' part. Was he being cruel? They had been his own kind. The lion was debating about it when he saw the reason as to why they had waged such a tremendous battle. It was a cub, barely a rib out of place, he rushed out of hiding to approach his fallen relatives.

Ahadi was taken with the cub for some reason; he had completely ignored him.

The adult male lion was still a threat and yet the child had so carelessly disregarded that. Now, they stood looking at the reddened heap as the sky continued to darken. Just how long they had been doing this Ahadi couldn't rightly figure out. He got to his feet then and approached the cub who sat so quitely, so still, and came to sit slightly off to his left behind him. Ahadi inquired him:

"What is your name, child?"

The cub did not reply. He turned to look over his shoulder at Ahadi who viewed him coolly. It was no comfort for the child, who was shedding large, silent tears from his dark green eyes, so he turned to look down at his paws and close his lids. Emotionlessly, the older lion placed his paw on the cub's shoulder. The cub sniffed as more tears rolled down his gray-brown cheeks.

"Come with me," Ahadi said.

There was another hard sniff.

"You will live with myself and my family."

Two dewy eyes looked up at him. "Why?"

Ahadi was still without expression. "Because you will die yourself out here if you don't."

The cub blinked away his tears. "Okay," he uttered. "My name's Haki."

"I am Ahadi."

There was no more discussion, Haki simply followed his newfound father-figure.

...

"Uru," Ahadi approached his wife at Pride Rock.

"Ahadi!" She trotted fast towards him from the mouth's cave; there was barely light out. "Oh!" Uru breathed. "You've been out all night. Why didn't you come home? I was so, so worried."

"Calm down, I'm fine." He nuzzled her as she rubbed her head earnestly into his mane. "I got a little... distracted." Ahadi smiled and motioned with his nose at a small creature behind his legs.

Haki peered out with concern.

"A cub?.!" Uru became agape. "Ahadi, why didn't you inform me before bringing him home? We already have two growing male cubs. That's enough tension. Who is going to raise him?"

"One of the lionesses," he informed her casusally. The lion stretched out, arching his back up and then prodding out his left hindleg with a lazy yawn. "I'm going to take a cat nap." Uru was quick to follow him into the cave, nagging all the way. Haki waited where he was for the two.

They did not re-emerge.

The lion cub tilted his head forward in rejection and turned to leave.

"Hey," Someone came out to greet him. It was a teenaged lion with darker pelt then Ahadi.

Haki judged this must be one of the son's since the teen's colors were similiar to his.

"Hey," he muttered half-heartedly as he started to leave again, feeling further isolated.

"Where do you think you're going?" The lion stepped forward.

Light was falling like curtain over the two. Haki saw this lion had a half-grown, dusk-red mane.

"I dunno... out there I guess."

"But you belong here now." The lion approached him with a friendly smile, placing his paw on the cub's left shoulder to scout him closer to the cave. "We're brothers now, my dad said so."

Haki brightened instantly. "Really?"

"Really." He said kindly. "I'm Mufasa, by the way."

"Haki." The cub replied as he followed his new friend into the cave.

"Well, Haki, since we're brothers now, I want you to know that if you ever need someone to look out for you I'm going to be here." He promised the cub. "Family protects family, brother."

...

From behind the west-facing rock wall heading into the cave, a lion watched the two enter. He had been sleeping outside waiting for his father to return home all night. Curiosity had drive him; his father rarely left for all-nighters. Now, the lion realized, all he had left was his mother's love.

Both his father and brother were traitors of his trust.

II. - The jungle...

Simba awoke with a smile. He turned to look and see that... his father wasn't there.

"Dad?" The lion looked around.

"Hah!" Mufasa grabbed him in a headlock.

"Dad!" Simba struggled to break free.

His father moved from on top of him and went to stand with his back to him.

The younger lion approached him anxiously.

"Dad?"

"It's time to go, son."

Simba considered this.

"Okay."

Mufasa paused a moment before leading him onwards. "Son."

"Yes, Dad?"

"I love you."

A warm smile spread across Simba's muzzle. "I love you too, Dad."

"Always remember that," Mufasa whispered.

"I will."

His father led the way in silence.

...

To be continued...