became Prince of the Pridelands. But he was even more worried about Kundu. The more Kundu stayed near his brother, the more the lion cub grew restless. ChangeYwele had noticed this change in him, and he was becoming worried about him.

"Kundu?"

The dark cub turned around to face his brother. He waited.

Ywele stalled a moment, then said, "I don't want to be King."

Kundu stared at Ywelw, his face expressionless. "Why is that?"

Ywele knew he was weighing his chances. "Well, look at King Simba. I mean, look at everything he has been through! I don't want to be in charge - I don't want these responsibilities!"

Kundu stared at him. Ywele, for a moment, was sure a sort of emotional shadow had passed over his face. He held his ground, though he was unsure of his move. Kundu may have been jealous, but he had never had a reason to be jealous of anyone - especially Ywele - before. He waited for his brother's reaction.

Kundu stared at him a moment longer, then shrugged. "That's the way it is. It wasn't your choice."

"Then who's was it?"

Kundu looked confused. He turned back to Ywele. "I don't know."

Ywele was worried. Now his brother was acting very strangely. Ywele moved forward, and Kundu followed.

 

 

Ywele was following a trail. It was of red blood, of an injured creature. Ywele didn't know why he was following it, he just knew he had to. He had left Kundu back at Pride Rock awhile ago, and he had just been out to find his sister and Vitani. He curved around and around, following the trail, which was getting stronger and stronger all the while. What really worried him was the fact that it smelled familiar. He knew it well, but his mind was blank when he searched for the answer to his question. He picked up speed, and began to trot. He could just smell it! He must be there... soon... the creature needed his help! He began to run. He was almost there! Nearly, here it was, right around this corner of grasses! Then, he stopped. He could hear voices. Two voices of two lions. He contained himself, for he was sure they were lions of his Pride, but they could very well be lions from another Pride. He listened.

"Why? We were just -!"

"I must. I don't want to...."

Vitani? Ywele began to shiver. It sounded like Vitani and someone else were plotting on something - against eachother. His claws scraped the ground, and he leaned forward, listening intently.

"Why are you? What is the reason?"

"Because I was told to, be someone higher in authority than I."

"Who?" This voice was higher pitched now, and scared.

"Your brother, Yani! He said -"

"Ywele? He didn't! He would never!"

"Yani?" Ywele asked himself, quietly, disbelievingly. "No," he knew what he had to do.

He leaped around the corner, snarling. Sure enough, Vitani and his sister were standing there, and they both did a double take.

"Ywele!" Yani cheerfully shouted. "Ywele! Didi you tell Vitani to kill me?"

ChangYwele stared hard at Vitani. "No, I didn't." He stepped toward her, angrily. Vitani held her ground, though she didn't look at all brave.

"You didn't tell me, your brother did!" Vitani looked scared now. "He made me promise." She looked from between Ywele and Yani. "He told me to rid the Pride of your sister, or he would kill everyone!"

"Vitani," Ywele said, stepping forward. Vitani stepped back. "He told you and only you. You should have told the entire Pride. We can still save you - both."

Vitani shook her head, fearfully, her eyes wide. "No! He was there all the while, watching me, he forced me to do it... he is always here."

"Kundu is back home," Ywele said firmly. "I took him, and he went into the den -"

"You don't know better!" Vitani was hysteric now, she was looking around wildly. "You see this?" She gestured to her left eye with her right paw. "You see it? He did it!"

For the first time, Ywele noticed a scratch across Vitani's eye, and muzzle. It looked relatively new.

"I had to do it now, before others noticed it," Vitani countinued. She licked her muzzle, attampting to clean the wound without taking her eyes from Ywele. She was worried, Ywele could tell.

"Vitani," Ywele said, "Come. Yani, let's go home."

The other two nodded, and Yani limped forward. Ywele looked at Yani's torn shoulder, then stared hard at Vitani. Vitani bowed her head, and silently followed.

Then, from out of nowhere, a loud scream echoed. Vitani howled in fright, and Yani cowered. Ywele screamed, as a large brown creature leaped toward them, its mouth open for them to see all of its sharp teeth, and its long claws. The three lowered themselves to the ground, waiting for it to come... they were done, it was huge, massive.

ChangYwele awoke with a start. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" He started, panting, and looking around himself. What was that? He heard a hard pounding, though it was light and rainy. Ywele looked around and noticed it was raining. He turned sharply, cracking his neck, and it hurt. But he saw his sister lying a short way away. Her shoulder was not torn, and she looked just fine. She was sleeping peacfully, her breathing regular and her eyes closed. Ywele turned and glanced to the back of the cave. He remembered Vitani laying there, and he saw her now, sleeping. Nothing had happened. It was just a dream. A bad dream, Ywele told himself. He was angry about his mind wandering so much. He calmed himself, and laid down, turning his head on his paws. He looked at the ground, and then, his eyes slowly moved up to the stars outside, but instead his eyes fell on a figure outside. He hadn't noticed it before, and he stared for a moment. Something told him that the creature was safe, though he coould not identify them from such a distance and in the darkness of night. He could see a sort of early mane around the animal's neck, and he realized that it was about hios own age. Ywele stood, and silently went to the mouth of the Pride's cave. Why was this lion here? Who was he and what did he want?

Ywele began to approach him, and he suddenly realized who he was.

"Kundu?"

The lion turned his head, startled. "Oh, you." He looked sulky, and very sad and dissappointed in the rain.

"You look awful, why are you out here? You are soaking."

"Why do you care?" Kundu turned around, and glared out across the dark plains of the land belonging to the Pride.

Ywele was startled. He didn't know what to say.

"What are you doing out here?" Kundu asked. Ywele shrugged.

"Bad dream."

Kundu twitched, and looked away, toward the right of the Pride's land, the boundaries.

Ywele wondered why his brother was so upset. "What are you thinking?"

It took a moment for Kundu to answer, but then, he turned and looked at Ywele. "What would it be like," he asked, a light shining in his eyes, though it was a light that Ywele had never seen, "To be the leader of a group?" He looked almost pleased and wanting. He looked frightening.

Ywele looked at Kundu, unsure of an answer.

"Not even king, but just a leader. What would it be like?" Kundu looked out across the Pridelands. Then his eyes settled beyond the borders, and Ywele distinctly saw his brother staring into the Shadowlands. Ywele shivered in the cold of the rain, but even more so from his brother's remarks. "You aren't thinking of visiting the Shadowlands, are you?"

Kundu turned to Ywele. "What?"

"Nothing," Ywele said, looking at Kundu, now feeling as if he had just recieved a huge shock. "Why don't you come in?"

Kundu shook his head, his start-of-a-mane twitching, and hanging about him like the wet pond grasses in the plains. "Later."

Ywele nodded. "Just don't stay out too long, you'll catch a cold." With that, Ywele walked away.

Just as he entered the mouth of the cave, he was certain he heard Kundu say, "Please, don't just forget me...."

 

 

 

The next morning, Ywele found himself in the tall grasses, chasing grasshoppers with his sister, Yani. Ywele was still bothered by Kundu's actiopns, and he was just beginning to think about what he had said, about not wanting to be forgotten. Ywele hoped that Kundu had not been speaking to him.

"Ywele, here!"

Ywele looked around, at Yani's sharp cry, and saw a brown grasshopper whizz past his head. Ywele shook his head. He wasn't concentrating very well.

"Ywele, it was right there!" Yani dissapointedly marched up to him. "That's the second time you missed one that was right in front of you."

"Sorry, Yani, I'm not concentrating."

Yani sighed. "Let's do something else. Oh, here comes Kundu!"

Ywele turned around to see his brother. Somehow, Ywele thought he looked much bigger, but leaner... almost more ferocious.

Yani darted toward him, calling, "Who wants to go to the water hole for a swim?"

Kundu smiled and said, "Sure."

Yani turned around. "How about you, Ywele?"

"Yeah, deffinately!"

"Great!" Yani turned and began to run. "Last one there's an Ostrich egg!"

Ywele and Kundu glanced at eachother then lunged forward. Ywele ran as hard as he could, wanting to stay a lion cub, not an Ostrich

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