Nesibindi (c) Wild Wind
Buli, Mafuta, Themanini, and other characters (c) Me
Swifty (c) Disney
Sudden Changes: Chapter 2
Mafuta and her friends had traveled for quite a while, trying to find a safe place to sleep. It was sunset now, and almost night.
Nesibindi looked at Buli. He had been wanting to ask her a question for quite a while, and decided to ask it now.
"Um, Buli..."
"Mmm?"
"Well, why did you leave with us?" Nesibindi asked. "What about your family? Why did you leave them?"
"Well, I'm old enough now to go where I want," Buli replied. "And you, Mafuta and Themanini are like my family." She smiled at Nesibindi, who smiled back at her.
"What's that?" Mafuta stopped as she watched a light brown objest running in the distance.
The lions watched it until it got close enough for them to see what it was.
"It's a cheetah cub!" Buli exclaimed.
When it saw them, the cheetah cub ran towards Mafuta and her friends.
"Hello!" He greeted them. "I'm Swifty!"
"Hello, Swifty!" Buli said. "Do you know if there are any other lions around here?"
Swifty nodded. "Yeah, down there," He pointed at some mountains. "They're a pretty friendly."
"Is it a pride?" Nesibindi asked.
"Yes," Swifty nodded. "Quite a big pride. There were at least twenty lionesses, ten lions and thirty cubs."
"Wow," Buli said, looking at Nesibindi. "That's more than the Kamilifu Pride."
"Anyway, I must go," Swifty said. "Bye!"
As Swifty left, Mafuta looked back at her mother and two friends. "Do you think we should go to the pride?"
"It's too late now," Themanini replied as she looked at the sky, which was no longer orange but instead dark blue. "Perhaps tomorrow."
"Where did Swifty say the pride was?" Nesibindi asked.
"I've forgotten," Buli replied.
"Me, too," Mafuta said. "But anyway, we should find a safe place to sleep."
"Let's go to than den down there," Buli suggested, pointing at a small den rather close to the mountains. "It looks quite safe."
"Okay," Mafuta agreed, and lead them to the den.
Mafuta woke up and looked around. She was in a small den. Had it all been a dream? Was she back at her home? Mafuta then saw Nesibindi and Buli sleeping in the den. She then looked outside. Everything was unfamiliar. No, it hadn't been a dream. It was all real.
Mafuta sighed and stepped outside. She was thirsty from her journey, and decided to drink from a little lake near on of the hills.
When she was there, she put her head down and began to drink.
"STOP!" An voice shouted from above.
Mafuta gasped and turned aroud. A lioness jumped down from one of the hills, followed by three more lionesses. The first lioness landed next to the lake. She looked at Mafuta and growled.
"This is not your territory!" The lioness snarled. "You cannot drink from our lakes!" Then the three other lionesses came down and sat next to the first.
She looked at them. "Kamwe, Kitisho, Ukaidi, get rid of her."
Mafuta gasped and stepped back as Ukaidi, Kamwe and Kitisho began to surround her.
"Enough, stop it!" Another lioness came down from the hill, followed by cubs, lionesses and lions. This lioness was older than the four others. Her fur was brown and one of her eyes was green, the other was blue.
The older lioness looked at the first. "Kuu, what is going on?"
Kuu turned to the older lioness. "That lioness, she just came here as if it was her home! It's our job to chase her out of our territory!" Kuu said, trying to sound innocent.
The older lioness looked at Mafuta, who was frightened and confused. "Don't be afraid, my dear," She said to Mafuta. "I am Tawala, queen of the Sametu Pride. And this is Utu, king of the Sametu Pride." Tawala looked at an older lion who stood next to her.
Mafuta stared at Tawala, not so afraid anymore. "Uh... I'm Mbegu Za Mafuta, but everyone calls me Mafuta."
"Welcome to the Sametu Pride, Mafuta," Said Utu.
"You aren't letting her stay, are you?" Kuu quietly asked Tawala.
"It depends if she wants to stay," Tawala smiled at Mafuta. "She's alone and probably has no where else to go."
"Uh, actually, I'm not alone," Mafuta stammered.
"What? Are there more lions?" Tawala asked.
"Yes, there's my mother and two friends," Mafuta replied. "Buli and Nesibindi."
"Hmm...," Utu and Tawala looked at each other. "Where are they?" Utu asked.
"In that den over there," Mafuta replied, pointing at the den.
"Is that where you live?" Tawala asked and Mafuta nodded.
"Queen Tawala, she lives on our territory!" Kuu exclaimed. "Without permission!"
"Actually, Kuu, it is just passed the border," Tawala replied.
"So... Can me and my friends stay here?" Mafuta asked.
"We'll think about it," Utu answered.
"Okay...," Mafuta said sadly, and ran back to her den.
"Didn't Swift say they were 'pretty friendly'?" Buli asked after Mafuta had explained to her, Nesibinid and Themanini what had happened.
"They probably just don't like lions," Themanini said. "Alot of prides are like that."
"But what are we going to do?" Mafuta asked. "What if they don't let us join?"
"Then we'll go somewhere else," Themanini calmly replied.
"But where?" Mafuta asked. "There isn't much food and water here. So far Swifty is the only animal I've seen here. But I saw herds and lakes in Utu and Tawala's kingdom."
"Stop worrying, Mafuta," Said Nesibindi. "We just have to wait and see what happens."
Meanwhile, Utu and Tawala were discussing if they should let Mafuta stay or not.
"I don't know, we have never had rogues join before," Said Tawala. "Except for Nyeusi... But we cannot let another traitor join."
"But these lions may behave," Utu said. "Why not let them stay and see what happens?"
"I don't want to risk it," Tawala replied. "Kuu," She called.
"Yes, Queen Tawala?" Kuu replied as she walked up to the queen.
"Spy on the new lions," Tawala said. "See how they act and what they say."
"Yes, my queen," Kuu sneered. "Kamwe, Kitisho, Ukaidi," She called. "Come with me. Queen Tawala has given us another job..."
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