Chapter Text
They had first met each other when they were small cubs.
A Prince of the Forest, and a Princess of Shadows.
Neither looked like their own prides. Mutants among mutants.
Princess Ade was the only one in her pride with rusty brown fur and rusted hair.
Prince Mohatu was the darkest of his pride. Darker than his father. A dark brown pelt and pure black hair.
‘Hi, I’m Mohatu. Who are you?’
‘I’m Ade. I shouldn’t be this far from my lands, but everything back home is dark and grey,’
‘You would like my lands. Everything is bright and colourful. Even the birds are bright,’
‘I wouldn’t mind seeing that,’
The two snuck out to meet each other often as they grew. Ade never let Mohatu come with her to her lands.
‘You always come here. Why don’t we go to your lands?’ Mohatu asked one day as they lay in the grass, watching clouds and birds up above them.
‘My lands aren’t good. It’s best if you don't go there,’
‘ADE!’ the two teens rolled over and looked toward the roar.
‘That was my father! He’s going to find us,’
‘Mohatu! Where are you boy!’
‘My parents are looking for me,’
They kept their heads low, hoping they wouldn’t be found.
Suddenly, a tall, dark grey lion with a huge black mane emerged from the surrounding grass, standing with his head high, he snarled at the two staring him down.
‘Ade! What are you doing with this lion,’ He snarled, stalking toward the two.
Ade stood up, ‘Father, please! He’s my friend!’
‘My daughter will not be friends with some commoner,’
‘Commoner? We are not commoners, Zara,’
Mohatu sat up, ‘Dad…’
‘Isn’t King Nuka. You’ve gotten old, boy!’ Zara snarled,
‘I’ve told you before, your kind are not welcome here,’ Nuka said as he stepped closer,
Zara growled and stepped over Ade, ignoring Mohatu, ‘Then perhaps your son won’t mind if I take my Daughter back out the lands we are not welcome?’
Nuka looked like he wanted to laugh, ‘Daughter? She looks nothing like you. She looks more like she belongs here,’
‘My daughter belongs no where else aside from her throne. Far away from you mud coats,’ Zara bit into Ade’s scruff and lifted her.
Mohatu then realized just how big this grey lion was. Mohatu himself was just a little bigger than Ade, but this lion lifted her with still a distance between her tail and the ground.
Ade looked at Mohatu. Sadness in her eyes, as her father took her away.
‘Mohatu, you aren’t allowed to go near that Shadow stalker ever again. As long as I am king, you will stay here,’ Nuka made to turn and head back to the den site when ‘Then I challenge you, father,’
‘Mohatu, you can’t be serious. Your father has years of experience. You can barely even take down a zebra calf,’ Mohatu’s mother said, trying to ward the incoming fight away.
‘If the boy wants to challenge me, then so be it. Tomorrow night in the arena of the Monkey castle. If he beats me, then he does. But if he can not!’ Nuka turned around sharp, snapping at Mohatu, making the young lion fall over.
The king growled, and walked away.
‘Mohatu, please don’t make the same mistake your brother did. I can not lose my last cub!’
‘Mother, I have to. I love Ade. If I beat father in battle, then the two of us can rule along side each other,’
‘Your mane hasn’t even grown in. You are still a cub! He will kill you. He is still able to make new cubs, he won’t stop until one of yous are dead!’
Mohatu gently head butted his mother, ‘I’m doing this for the future of your line, mom. He won’t kill me. I promise,’