Happy Tidings
Zarda walked confidently through the kingdom, filled with happiness as he looked forward to becoming a father like his friend Purk. He wished his own father was alive to share in his joy. Zarda often daydreamed about King Ezekiel, reminiscing about the stories from his youth. Despite his absence, Zarda still had his mother and brother to turn to. Saharrah couldn't wait to tell everyone about their upcoming parenthood, and Meeku was equally excited to become Uncle Meek. He was thrilled with his new title. As well as sharing good news of his own. Ever since the kingdom's merger, he had developed feelings for a female named Arian from the cheetah coalition, who happened to be Wazingu's second cousin. Despite being different feline breeds, Meeku was in love with her and didn't care about their differences. Meeku's heart was captured by Arian's gentle nature. They would often sneak out to meet in secret, keeping their relationship hidden from others under the cover of darkness. During their encounters, they would take long walks, sharing thoughts, goals, aspirations, kisses, and affectionate embraces. He was not prepared for a serious commitment like his brother Zarda. He preferred to keep their romance low-key and straightforward, but eventually, Meeku found himself unable to contain his love any longer. One day, he went searching for his brother and discovered him along with their mother selecting baby names together.
Saharrah and Zarda were in deep conversation. asked the Queen, "What do you think about harem or nova?" To which Zarda shook his head no in response.
Zarda responded, "No, it has to be something that grabs everyone's attention, similar to Elgin, Brant, or Xylon."
Meeku waited nearby, poised to join their conversation. "Apologies for interrupting, but I have something to share with you. Do you have a moment, or are you busy deciding on a name for your unborn cub?"
Zarda and Savannah exchanged disapproving glances with each other as they couldn't fathom that Meeku would utter such words. Feeling their displeasure, he quickly apologized and rectified his statement.
"Let me clarify, I'm eager to call them by their name and hear them call me Uncle Meek, but don't we have some time before the little one arrives?" He inquired.
Zarda playfully called out the name "Uncle Meek" before teasing his brother. "Simple, just like you," he laughed.
Meeku feigned a sarcastic laugh and rolled his eyes at his older sibling. Zarda glanced lovingly at his younger brother, noticing a change in his demeanor but unsure of what it was. He knew there was something different about Meeku, and he would soon find out what it was.
Zarda asked in a more serious tone, "Is there something you want to talk about, little brother? If it's important, please speak up."
Meeku's gaze shifted quickly between his brother's face and his mother's. He couldn't wait to see their reaction when he told them his exciting news.
Before he spoke, he cleared his throat. "I have met someone," he began. "We have been seeing each other in secret for nearly a month now. I was introduced to her at work by King Mosiya. She joined our forging crew, where she designs weapons. Her name is Arian, and she is from the cheetah coalition, Wazingu's cousin," he explained.
Zarda and Saharrah glanced at each other, their eyes wide, before turning their attention back to Meeku. For once, Zarda was at a loss for words, but their mother wasn't.
"Son, I'm a bit puzzled. Why choose a cat that isn't from our usual bloodline? I'm genuinely happy for you, but we've always stuck to our breed in my lifetime. Maybe it's just a passing phase," she said with a chuckle.
Disappointed in his mother. Meeku turned away from his mother, feeling unsettled by her remarks. He had expected more from her.
Meeku responded, "Mother, why are you acting this way? We are living in a new era, not the past. You must accept the changes. I am in love with her, and she loves me back. Nothing any of you say or do can change that if I decide to make her my partner."
He was correct, Saharrah felt guilty and tenderly placed her hand on his strong back.
"I apologize son. You're correct, I am set in my ways and stuck in old traditions. If you love her, go ahead and love her. I wouldn't mind having more grand cubs from you as well," she responded.
Zarda, with a smile on his face, said, "I'm happy to see you happy, brother. Now, please introduce her to us and make it official," as he playfully tousled Meeku's shaggy hair.
"Alright, alright I will. just stop doing that," Meeku replied, chuckling mischievously.
Meeku extended his arms and embraced them both, pulling Zarda into a headlock and giving his mother's shoulders a gentle squeeze before heading off to work.
Who's the Boss?
Penelope, the elephant calf, asked Thyron, "How many bugs did you catch?"
Glancing down at his hands, Thyron the warthog observed three beetles moving around on his left hand while two crushed bodies lay on his right. Upon looking up, his eyes widened in surprise.
He responded, "um, just a few," before anyone could see, he shook them off..
"Well, I have four ladybugs and two beetles. How about you, Theena?" She asked Thyron's twin.
Theena let out a loud giggle. "I have two ticklish butterflies," she responded.
Theena asked Coral, "What about you?"
Coral the cheetah cub, was so engrossed in studying a fluffy jumping spider that she didn't hear her friend calling out to her. Without warning, all three friends shouted her name simultaneously, causing Coral to jump in surprise at the sudden noise.
"I'm sorry, this spider is just so captivating. I didn't hear anyone," she replied.
" Well, that's obvious." Said Thyron.
With a sneer, Coral turned back and caught sight of her spider friend leaping off her hand and vanishing into the tall grass. The small group was starting to feel hungry.
As usual, Thyron was beginning to feel hunger pangs. "I'm hungry. Let's go grab some food," he declared.
Penelope furrowed her brows as she looked up at him. "You're never full, but I must admit, I am very hungry too. I'm tired of playing with bugs. Let's go. My mom can make us some beetle jelly sandwiches," she answered.
Thyron's tiny tusk received a lick at the mention of jelly beetle sandwiches. "Yum, that sounds delicious," he exclaimed.
Theena and Coral often disregarded the two, occasionally rolling their eyes, yet they always ended up following their lead. Regardless of Thyron or Penelope's choices, Theena and Coral would do the same. Thyron and Penelope were constantly vying for the role of group leader. However, the issue was there could only be one leader among friends. Thyron insisted that he should be the one to rule, citing his gender and future kingship. In contrast, Penelope disagreed, pointing out her royal lineage and the fact that the majority of the group were females. She asserted that he was outnumbered in his bid for power. Leaving the rock beds in the garden, the four friends headed towards Queen Ajanta's kitchen for some food. Penelope, the adorable little elephant calf, stood at four feet tall with big round eyes just like her mother's. Her tiny trunk dangled down her round face, while her floppy ears bounced as she made her way home. Thyron, the sturdy young warthog, was three feet tall with a round belly and long, thick arms and legs. His appearance took after his father, Purk, while his twin sister Theena resembled their mother, with big round eyes and long eyelashes. Theena was petite like Coral, the cheetah cub with long golden hair and light freckles. These little friends had been inseparable since birth.
Naturally, the black mane pride and the eagle colony also welcomed new offspring, but these four animals remained the closest to each other. Penelope and her friends noticed that the other young animals often got into trouble and didn't seem very friendly. Leading their group were two brothers from the black mane pride, Faden and Mires. They were often seen hanging out with three male eagle triplets named Zeus, Vice, and Talon. Despite this, the group of five seemed unfazed by Thyron and Penelope's group. At times, they would cause trouble just for the sake of it. They simply enjoyed having a good time, even though their antics didn't always end well. Penelope and Thyron's group wisely spent their time avoiding the creatures to ensure their safety, a prudent decision for such young beings. When four hungry little ones arrived, Penelope's mother quickly made them a meal to refuel. She then sent them off to explore and play nearby. Faden and Mires happened to see them walking together towards the watering hole. They eventually met up with them to watch from under the shade of a large marula tree.
As soon as she saw them arrive, Penelope sighed, "Oh no, we have guests." Her disappointment was clear in her voice.
Coral felt her skin tense with fear. Avoiding their gaze, she sought refuge behind Penelope, her body trembling. Penelope turned to her frightened companion and locked eyes.
"Don't worry, coral. Let's still have a great time swimming. Just ignore them," she reassured.
Thyron reassured, "Don't pay any attention to those brothers. They can only bother you if you let them, and I won't let them do that."
Penelope assured the same, "I will certainly chase them away before allowing them to bully any of my friends."
"Let's swim," she said enthusiastically. She took hold of Coral's hand and led her out into the refreshing cool water. Before long, all four of them were splashing and having fun.
Fortunately for them, Faden and Mires were not looking to start any trouble. Instead, they were eager to play a game of hide and seek. Mires swam out to greet Penelope.
"Hey, what is everyone doing today?" Mires asked with curiosity.
Initially, Penelope remained silent stunned by his question. He spoke up before she had a chance to respond, "Faden and I were thinking that you might want to join us for a game of hide and seek, if you don't have any other plans. There are not many rules, just pure fun where anything goes."
Penelope leisurely swam close to the lion cub, her curiosity piqued. "What happened to hanging out with your friends Zeus, Vice, and Talon?" she inquired.
Mires glanced upward as he responded, saying, "Their mother has kept them inside the nest because they haven't been feeling well. Once they feel better, they can play again. We just want to have fun and avoid any trouble."
Penelope raised her short, index finger up to Mires, indicating- hang on for a moment. She swam over to Thyron and filled him in on the circumstances. He was willing to join in the playtime, as long as there were no injuries. He saw no harm in a friendly game of hide and seek, at least not that he was aware of. Penelope hurried over to Mires, who was gleefully splashing his brother in the face. Unnoticed amidst the commotion, she cleared her throat loudly to catch their attention.
Cautiously, she said, "We would be happy to join you both, as long as you can guarantee that no one will get hurt."
The brothers agreed, safety first. Everyone swiftly swam back to shore and dried off on the bank, and then joined Mires and Faden to continue playing.
Faden said, "Let's go. We discovered a fantastic location just outside the walls, over at rock hill."
Penelope was hesitant about the idea, but decided to follow the brothers. They didn't see any harm in exploring the other animal kingdoms surrounding the main kingdom. It was all harmless fun, especially considering that Rock Hill had been empty ever since the wild dog incident.