No Crush: Part 1

By Doverstar

{Chapter 1}

CHAPTER 1

Sun filtered across the savannah, hitting the peak of Pride Rock, turning the clay-like boulders to brownish-gold, symbolically the color of a lion.

Just inside the largest cave of Pride Rock, about 20 dozing lionesses and four or five males (for that's the cutsom in real lion prides) were splayed out, sound asleep. The Pride had had a long day yesterday of hunting and making sure the cubs were safe as they played and being certain that no hyenas had trayed into the Pride Lands.

A golden cub with brown-bottomed ears and a brown tail tip, with a messy tuft of little hair on his head scrambled through the lions and cubs as he slammed into the side of a large male lion--Mufasa, leader of the Pride.

"Dad! Wake up! C'mon, Dad!" the prince of the Pride nudged his father.

Mufasa raised his head. "Is it sunrise already?" he rumbled in his deep voice.

"Yeah, and you said you'd take me to the top of Pride Rock again." The golden cub gave Mufasa a look of irritation.

"Go on out and I'll catch up with you then," Mufasa murmured sleepily, tucking his nose under one paw.

The Golden prince-cub bounded playfully out of the cave, tail curling over his back, a grin spreading his muzzle.

In the far corner of the cave, a lone white female cub, about the prince's age, opened her sky-blue eyes drowsily. "Uh?" she yawned, stretching. She had no mother or father to curl up next to as the other cubs in the cave did, but they all pressed around her to make her feel welcome anyway.

She stood up and looked to the entrance of the cave, careful not to wake anyone else up.

she saw the silhouette of the golden-furred prince cub out by the entrance, the sun making his form black-brown so that he was only a shadow in the morning sunrise.

The white cub scrambled out of the cave, yawning again as she stopped a few feet behind the prince.

"Simba?" she blinked.

Simba turned his head. "Hey, Nadra!"

Nadra smiled sleepily. She blinked a few times more, trying to wake up. "Whatcha doing?"

"Dad's gonna show me the whole kingdom."

"Again?"

Simba lifted his head. "Yep. And I'm gonna rule it all!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Nadra teased, coming up beside him. "Why so early?"

Simba shrugged. "Dad should be here any minute."

"Hmm." Nadra yawned again.

A flutter of wings caused the cubs' ears to perk up and their heads to turn.

Simba rolled his shoulders. "Look!"

Nadra opened her mouth a little to the shape of an O, looking where he gestured, then closed it and smiled.

"Banana-Beak's up early," Simba whispered hoarsely.

"Sshh, he'll hear us!" Nadra agreed.

Sure enough, Zazu, the King's advisor, a blue hornbill, was flying in circles a few feet off, trying to find somewhere to land on the boulders of Pride Rock.

"Check this out," Simba exclaimed in a whisper to Nadra, turning and crouching, beginning to prowl toward where Zazu circled near to the ground.

Nadra sat down, smiling still. Simba was so brave! Most cubs wouldn't dare play a prank on the King's trusted advisor, even if he was a little hornbill with enough attitude to fill a hippo. They were too scared of Mufasa's rebukes. But Simba was different. She guessed it was because he was the prince, future king, yada yada yada, like he had told all the cubs before. But she was the one who listened to it every time he bragged, captivated by the thought of the rambunctious young troublemaker becoming a strong, handsome lion King, even braver than he was now! Lately her feelings for him, developing from a good friend since the two cubs were both infants, to something more, had troubled her. She was the only white lion in the Pride; even Queen Sarabi's pale color didn't match her cloud-white fur. Mufasa and some of the other lionesses had found her in the tall grass at the base of the Pride Rock when she was a baby lion cub, almost starved from food deprivation for a whole two days, orphaned and rarely-bred. But Mufasa, the strong, caring leader he was, took her into the cave and treated her as he would any other lost orphaned lion cub. He gave her a home, and though she didn't have adopted parents here, the Pride was raising her with all the love and affection they could bestow. Some cubs, like Malka and sometimes even young Mheetu, and especially Tojo, teased her nowadays. But not Simba. Mufasa had ordered when he'd found her that as soon as his infant son was a strong little cub, he would begin playing with Nadra, making her feel like she belonged, never leaving her side until she could stand confidently on her own four paws. Now he did it without thinking, and they had become close friends.

"Aaaaaaugh!" Zazu cried out suddenly.

Nadra bit her lip and smothered cubified laughter.

Simba hung to Zazu's tail with an iron grip on his jaws. He lifted his front paws off the ground, stretching up as Zazu flapped frantically, trying to get free without crashing to the too-near ground of Pride Rock.

Zazu leaned down, eyebrows lowered, and pecked Simba twice on the head. "Young brute!" he insulted in his British accent. "Why, you--"

Simba twirled his head in a circle and launched Zazu against another boulder. Zazu lay there, winded but unharmed.

Simba trotted gallantly back to Nadra's side, sitting with her and laughing his ears off.

"Good morning, Zazu." Mufasa suddenly appeared. He turned and nodded to his son. "Simba."

Simba's ears lowered.

"Busted," Nadra whispered to him out of the corner of her mouth.

"Impeccable timing, Your Majesty," Zazu doted with a weak voice as he flapped awkwardly, dusty and dirty from his scuffle with Simba, and perched on a rock.

"Simba..." Mufasa stood over his son. 

Zazu folded his arms--or wings--and smirked at Simba knowingly--if hornbill's could smirk; you see, they don't really have mouths either, just colorful beaks.

Simba crouched, looking sideways, not meeting his father's eyes.

Nadra tensed.

Zazu sneered, waiting for Mufasa's punishment on his son.

Mufasa continued:

"Good technique, son. Next time, pounce, don't just go for the tail feathers." Mufasa let out a hearty lion's laugh.

Simba jerked up his head, mouth open wide in a huge smile, ears flicking straight up in surprise and pride. Nadra did the same, grinning at him.

Zazu opened his eyes wide, jaw dropping (if he had a jaw, that is) and swung his head around to stare gawkingly at Mufasa, shocked.

Nadra smiled. Other cubs would recieve scorn and punishment. Other cubs would slink away, ashamed. Other cubs would dread Mufasa's sharp rebukes. Other cubs would have shrank under Zazu's open glare. Other cubs' fur would run hot with embarassment. Other cubs would never try it again.

Simba wasn't other cubs.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Nadra lay in the grass, feeling the hot wind breeze through her white fur as she watched a butterfly flutter by, its uniquely colored wings dazzling in the sunlight. The sun was already high in the sky--it was past lunchtime.

"Rrggha!"

A pair of paws slammed into her, and she wrestled with her attacker for a few moments, seeds from the tall savannah grass peppering her white coat.

She shoved the cub off. "Simba!"

"I'm back!" Simba cackled mischeviously. "Hahahh, gotcha again!" 

"Whatever." Nadra smiled, flicking her tail, heartbeat quickening rapidly as she looked at his glimmering red eyes. "What do you wanna do now?"

Simba's eyes flickered. "Hey, we could go t'the watering hole."

"Nahh," Nadra shook her head, wide ears twitching. "Let's--"

A rolling ball of tan fur collided with Simba. Simba huffed, and the attacker pushed down on his chest with her front paws, smiling coyly into his face.

"Pinned ya!" she cried teasingly. It was a tan lioness cub, with pretty green eyes and a smooth tail-tip.

"Agh, lemme up!" Simba protested, pushing her off.

Nadra leaned away, still sitting down, one paw raised off the ground. Nala. Just great. The daughter of Sarafina, one of the prettiest lionesses in the Pride, and Simba's best friend. At least, she said she was. He never said so, but then again, whenever she said it, he never protested or spoke up against it. Nadra tried not to sigh as she allowed herself the satisfaction of an eye roll.

"So, Simba, the watering hole?" Nadra cleared her throat as Simba and Nala continued scuffling.

Simba was on the ground again, on his back, one paw pushing at Nala's cheek, as she stood practically on top of him. One eye of Simba's was squinted with effort, grunting as he locked eyes with Nadra and answered in a tight voice, "Naaghhh--I'm kinda--oof--busy!"

"Help me hold 'im down, Nadra!" Nala cried, giggling.

Nadra did sigh then, but she was glad Nala included her in the game. She knew Nala never meant to steal Simba's attention, but it never failed. Simba probably had no idea how she felt anyway.

With a growl, Nadra playfully assisted Nala in holding Simba down.

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Nadra giggled. She dissapeared into the long grass, then