LIFE IN A NEW LAND

Safari stared up at the vast grassland ahead of him. There were so many choices to make, so many routes to take. But what if he chose the wrong one? He might end up at a place he didn't want, like that shadowy place to his right.

"Great." he muttered to himself. "Your first minutes in a new place, and you get yourself lost. Great work, Safari."

He looked up and saw a strange shaped rock. It was suspicious looking, but it seemed like a better choice than the shadowy place. He took a deep breath, and jumped down the rock he was on. He began to head for the strange shaped rock.

He had reached a huge plain of grass and trees. He could hardly see his way. The large orange lion started to feel scared.

"Calm down, Safari." he told himself. "You're not at the zoo anymore. Keep going."

He walked forward, keeping his ears pricked in case of any danger, like his adopted father Simon had taught him. His steps became even lighter with every pawstep forward. He had the feeling he was being watched. He sniffed the air. Yes, there definetely a hostile scent in the air. He looked back. He wondered if it was his imagination or did that bush just move? He thought he caught a flash of brown in the shrub right in front of him. He began catching small growls.

Safari instinctively crouched down and prepared to attack. Suddenly, a brown lioness came shooting out of the bushes and attacked him. He reared up on his hind legs and deflected her attack. But she caught hold of his reddish-brown mane and pulled him down. Soon, the two were engaged in a fierce battle. Safari was beginning to wear out while the lioness seemed to be getting stronger. He desperately jumped at her. She easily pinned him down and growled at him.

He stared open-mouthed at her. She was not only a good fighter, but also very beautiful. She had brown fur and a black nose. Her dark eyeshades and red eyes caught his eye. She stared at him in the eye. Then, the anger from her face vanished and was replaced by a surprised look.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Sa.....Safari." he stammered.

"You're from the zoo." she said.

"How do you know?" he asked, surprised.

"I can see it in your eyes." She replied. "You fight well for a caged lion."

"I was not born a caged lion." he said.

"Who were your parents?" she asked.

"I....I...I don't know." he put his head down. "All I know is that my mom was cream and my dad was white."

"Then, you're the cub who disappeared all those years ago?" she said, getting off him.

"Yes." Safari said.

"Then, you have to meet the king, now." she said, urgently.

"King?" he asked.

"Our leader out here is called a king. You need to speak with him."

"How do you know so much?"

"My sister is the queen."

"Queen?" Safari's mind was reeling with all these new positions.

"My name is Uzuri." she said. "I'm also the lead hunter in the Pride."

She began walking towards the bushes in front of him and beckoned to him. He got up from the ground and followed her. She began walking towards the strange looking rock.

"That's our home, Pride Rock." Uzuri explained to the confused lion. "We all live there."

"This is your territory?" he asked.

"Not all of it." she said. "The area on the other side of that gorge, the Outlands, are forbidden. Bad memories there. And that shadowy place is the Elephant Graveyard. The hyenas left, but the place is still out of bounds."

Safari took in all of the sights wih great interest. Soon, they came close to Pride Rock. As they approached, cream-coloured lionesses looked at them. Then, one of the lionesses got up and ran over to them and nuzzled Uzuri.

"Uzuri, I thought you'd never come home." the lioness said.

"Relax, Nala." Uzuri said. "I need to see Simba now."

"Who's this?" Nala asked, turning to Safari.

"His name is Safari." Uzuri said. "He's the son of the white lion who was killed by those men."

"Then, you really need to see Simba now." Nala said.

They walked up the rock and into a den located in Pride Rock. Safari marvelled at its beauty and shelter. Inside, a lion with a reddish-brown mane like his, only lighter, sat inside. Once they stepped in, he put his head up.

"What have we here?" he asked.

"A new lion, Simba." Nala replied.

"The lost cub, that too." Uzuri put in.

Simba studied Safari. His gaze met Safari's and he nodded. Safari wanted to back down, but he couldn't show fear, not in front of the king. So, Safari kept all his fear inside and met Simba's gaze with a respectful one of his own.

"My father told me about him," Simba said, still not breaking eye contact with Safari, but softening his gaze. "he was believed to be dead."

"My mother took me to a zoo." Safari said. "She left me there and went away."

"My father knew your mother," Simba went on as a sharp pain pierced Safari's heart. "He said she was a great hunter."

"What about my dad?" Safari asked with a heavy heart.

"He was a very rare white lion." Simba said. "My father said he had offered your father shelter and that's how he met your mother."

Safari put his head down to stop a tear fall down his face. Uzuri noticed this and looked at Simba and Nala. Simba also seemed to have noticed, because he nodded. Then, Uzuri led Safari out of the den while Nala stayed behind with her mate. Safari walked out to a sheltered rock and put his head down, letting his tears fall.

"Safari, what's up?" Uzuri had walked up to him and sat down beside him.

"Nothing." he replied.

She seemed to know what was bothering him. She put her head near his. He looked surprised but let her stay near him. Her warmth was comforting him and he felt happy that she was near him. She pressed her body against him and he felt thankful.

Night fell, and Safari was confused. Where did the pride sleep? He saw all the lionesses walking into the den, but he didn't follow them. Simba came out and looked at him.

"What're you doing out here?" he asked.

"I don't know where I should sleep." Safari replied.

"Inside, of course." Simba said. "Come on in."

Safari followed the king inside, surprised by his kindness. Simba went to a high platform and slept beside Nala. Safari looked around and saw every place was full. The only place that was empty was beside Uzuri. He walked up to her and lay down beside her.

"So, you finally came in." she suddenly said.

"I thought you were asleep." he said.

"I don't sleep until its very late. I don't sleep well in crowds. That's why I sleep in this corner." she said. "Its okay the first few times but it gets lonely after a while."

"Good thing I'm here, huh." he joked.

"Yeah." she said, putting her head down and closing her eyes.

He chuckled to himself and put his head on his paws. He felt at home in Pride Rock. It felt good that Uzuri was nearby. He slid into dreams of his parents telling him how proud they were of him.

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Safari put his head down for a drink from the water-hole. It had been many weeks since he had first arrived in the Pridelands and he was getting used to the life. He had become good friends with Uzuri, though he often wondered if there was something more than friends between them. There had been a few awkward moments between them since the second week of his arrival. He had also been visiting his adoptive parents in the zoo, after talking to Simba.

Safari looked up as a few water droplets fell from his chin. Uzuri was in front of him. He had the feeling she was teasing him. As she taunted him, he crouched down as Simon had taught him. He got as much power into his legs as he could and sprang. One second Uzuri was on dry ground, the next she was in the water with Safari on top of her. The two rolled and she pinned him down when they got to dry ground.

"Gotcha." she said.

He laughed and pushed her off him. He shook himself dry and streched. He looked at Uzuri who was licking herself. The two looked at each other and laughed.

"Wanna walk?" he asked. She nodded and they walked.

When they got to a bunch of trees, Uzuri stopped. Safari looked at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"This was the place I was severly wounded as a cub by hyenas." she said.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "They're gone now."

"Thank you Safari." she said, suddenly putting her head under his.

He was so surprised, he couldn't even talk. Then he smiled and got his head to her level and nuzzled her.

"You're welcome." he said.

The two nuzzled for what seemed like forever. When they broke apart, they walked side by side. Safari couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He felt like he had been kicked in the head by a buffalo. That night, he and Simba shared a conversion. Simba told him about his entire life and the dangers he faced.

"Why are you telling me this?" Safari asked.

"Well, I don't have a heir yet, so until then, you and Uzuri are next in line to take after me." Simba replied.

"Me?" Safari asked. "But...but...I'm so different

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