Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Alright, this is the last chapter of this story! Whoo but sad as well. I've found I enjoy writing Lion King Stories, especially ones with Taka.

Okay, before I start rambling on….here's the last chapter!

Mufassa and Taka ran out of the cave before their parents realized what their elder son had just said.

"Really Muffy?" Taka asked. "Did you have to say we'd be getting up to mischief?"

"Well Mom always said that it's better not to lie," Mufassa said with a smirk. Taka chuckled and the two brothers walked towards the Southern Border.

"Hey Mufassa!" another cub called out. "Stuck babysitting again huh?"

Taka flinched softly at that. He knew that voice. It was Una, the cub who loved to torment him. Mufassa though never knew that until yesterday.

"Actually Una," Mufassa said, his eyes narrowed, at the tan cub "I'm spending time with my brother."

Una snorted, his pink nose scrunched up at what he thought to be an obvious lie.

"Yeah right," he said. "Come on. Rafe and Coz just discovered a neat hideout behind the waterhole. They're waiting for you to come check it out."

"Sweet!" Mufassa said. "Can Taka come?"

Una shrugged but everyone knew what it meant. It meant no annoying little brothers allowed.

"Come on Taka," Mufassa growled. "Those caves aren't going to explore themselves."

Taka looked at his brother in shock, as did Una. Mufassa was giving up time with his friends to spend time with him?

"Thanks Mufassa," Taka said softly. "You could have—"

"Ditched you to hang out with someone who enjoys making my brother miserable?" Mufassa asked. "Not a chance Taka."

Taka grinned at that, his scar still aching at the movement but he didn't notice.

"RACE YA!" Taka shouted and then started off. Mufassa could be heard shouting after him but all any animal could hear was Taka laughter as they made their way to the caves.

"Whoa!" both cubs gasped. The caves were about three feet high but fifteen feet wide.

"I wonder what's in there?" Taka asked. Mufassa smirked.

"There's only one way to know," he said and Taka caught on to Mufassa's train of thought.

"Let's go check it out!" both cubs exclaimed. The cave, they realized, wasn't much fun. It was wet and slimy. Not to mention the bats that liked to fly right into Taka's face at any given moment.

"RATS WITH WINGS!" Taka shouted after the last attack. "That's what they are. Stop laughing Mufassa!"

His brother was in fact laughing his tail off. Growling, Taka pounced on his big brother, sending both of them rolling out of the cave.

"Whoa!" Mufassa exclaimed as they stopped.

"Pinned ya!" Taka smirked as once again he landed on top of his brother. Mufassa growled and ended up chasing Taka all the way back to Pride Rock just as the sun was setting.

"Have fun boys?" Uru asked as they walked into to the den.

Taka looked at Mufassa, who was grinning ear to ear.

"We had a blast," both cubs said, the looks on their faces enough to cause their parents to groan at the trouble their cubs had gotten into in the Pride Lands.

000000000000000000

Ten Years Later

Taka yawned as he stretched out in the sun. Mufassa had become king eight years ago after their father had passed away during an epic battle with the Hyenas. Uru had followed their father soon after, of a broken heart.

At least Father managed to fix things between us, he thought. For the time he had left, Ahadi made it a point to include Taka in all the duties he was training Mufassa in, including the nightly star gazing.

"TAKA!" he heard Nala shout. No one knew what pride Nala came from. She arrived a few weeks after his nephew Simba had turned one four years ago. She was dehydrated, starving and it was obvious she'd had a long journey. Somehow, Mufassa had delegated the task of looking after her to himself and Sarafina.

"Yes Nala?" Taka asked, getting up. Nala skid to a halt right in front of him, causing Taka to chuckle.

"Simba…gorge…wildebeest!"

"Slow down," Taka said, his eyes widening with worry when he heard the word gorge. "Tell me everything."

"Simba and I were playing by the gorge on the northern border—"

"I thought we told you never to go there?" Taka interjected instantly. Nala glowered when she was interrupted. Despite the fact that she had no relation to Sarafina, her glare was identical to the pregnant lioness.

"Yes but that's not important right now!" Nala brushed that aside. "Some how Simba caused a rock slide and the herd started to stampede!"

Taka didn't need to hear any more.

"Nala, tell the king where I'm going," he said and the tone he said it in clearly gave the impression that there shouldn't be any arguments. "In fact, tell Sarafina too."

"Why?"

"Because I think she'd kill me if I didn't," Taka said and they both shared a chuckle. Taka ran off to the northern border, a few miles west of the Elephant Grave Yard. He could see the dust.

Great Kings, please make sure Simba's alright, he thought as he slid down the wall. His eyes scanned the sea of prey for any sign of his nephew.

"SIRE!" the annoying call of Zazu came from behind and he almost knocked the bird out.

"Zazu," he said. "Fly ahead and see if you can see Simba!"

The bird did as commanded and not five minutes had gone by before he returned.

"THERE, THERE!" the bird said pointing. "ON THAT TREE!"

Taka didn't wait to see if the tree would hold Simba. He jumped into the sea of wildebeests and began to run. He was fast, even as he got older, but he wasn't fast enough to out run a boat load of startled prey. He knew he had to get out and fast.

"UNCLE TAKA!"

He knew that panicked yell indicated that there wasn't much time left. He sped up and jumped just as the tree broke, sending his nephew into the air. Catching him just as he landed, Taka decided instead of trying to go back he'd run with the tide until there was an opening. That proved to be a mistake as he was knocked down by two beasts.

"AGHHHHH!"

No way was he going to let his nephew get trampled, not when his mother was two suns away from giving him a new brother of his own. Getting up, Taka ran to Simba and picked him up again. He began to climb, which proved difficult even with Simba in his mouth. He didn't care. He had to get out of there.

"Taka!" he heard his brother shout and passed his nephew on to his big brother. Then he began to slip.

SHIT!

"Mufassa!" he shouted, feeling like the cub he once was. "Brother! A little help?"

Mufassa lent down a paw and helped Taka the rest of the way.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Mufassa shouted at him the moment Taka had caught his breath. "You might have died!"

"I was thinking that your son was in danger," Taka snapped back. "Sorry for caring!"

Mufassa groaned.

"Taka, just last week you sprained your paw rescuing the two cubs from the Elephant Grave Yard. You're supposed to be recovering from that. If you don't stop doing these crazy things—You're not the only one who cares about the cubs."

No, but I am the only one who has to make sure he doesn't end up like his crazy future self, Taka thought, feeling his paw twinge in pain.

"You hurt don't you?" Mufassa asked, misreading Taka's silence. "Come on. I'll let Sarafina tear into you while Rafikki looks you over…and you young lion," he turned to Simba, " are going to have a long talk with your mother about dangerous stunts that could give us heart attacks."

"Dad!" the young cub groaned. Taka shook his head. Simba was just like himself and his brother when they were his age. The walk back to Pride Rock was a long one, only because of the silence.

"You're just in time!" Sarabi said in excitement.

"In time for what?" Taka asked in confusion. Sarabi gave him a look.

"Did you forget that your mate was pregnant with your cub?" she asked. Taka gasped and ran to her side, only to be stopped by Rafikki.

"Only one may be by her side," the monkey said. "Sarabi already claimed that spot."

"But I'm the father!" Taka growled in annoyance. "This is revenge for pouncing on you when Mufassa was crowned king isn't it?"

Rafikki shrugged and Taka began to pace, not even listening to Mufassa scold the two cubs for their dangerous and stupid stunt.

"Taka, you're just going to injure that paw more," Mufassa said with a frown after he'd finished with the cubs. "Sit down."

"TAKA, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" a scream came from inside the cave.

"I'll pass on the sitting," Taka said dryly.

"Sarabi said the same thing when she was giving birth to Simba," Mufassa reassured his brother. "It honestly doesn't mean anything, and not so fast you two!"

Nala and Simba groaned as they were trying to sneak off of Pride Rock.

"Nice one," Taka shrugged.

"Thanks," Mufassa chuckled. "What are you going to name the cub?"

"Haven't any clue," Taka said with a wry smile but hearing more screams drove him back to pacing. The sun was lowering in the sky when the faint mews of a newborn cub were heard.

"You may enter now," Rafikki said and Taka took no time in entering the cave. By Sarafina's side were three cubs. One was tan; taking after her mother but the other two had inherited their father's fur coloring.

"They're beautiful," Taka gasped. "Do you know what you want to name them?"

Sarafina lifted her weary head and smiled gently. "I thought you'd want to do the honor."

Taka thought for a moment. He didn't really know but then it hit him.

"Which one was born first?" he asked. Sarafina pointed to the first male cub with her tail and Taka smiled.

"Ahadi," he said.

"After your father?" Sarafina said surprised. Taka nodded and his mate smiled.

"He'd like that," she said and then turned to the other two cubs. "You know we still have two more cubs to name dear."

"Oh right," Taka chuckled. "I know Mufassa's got Mom's name already claimed if Sarabi gives birth to a girl—"

"Vitani," Sarafina said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sarafina nodded and Taka chuckled.

"In that case, let's name the youngest one Kopa," he said.

"Why Kopa?" Sarafina asked, the confusion evident in her face.

"Because if we name him Kovu, then my future grandniece will have a completely new set of problems to deal with."

The happy couple burst out laughing and Taka smiled. Things had finally settled down and life was for the better.