Chapter Twenty-Eight: You Slip When Pouncing

The golden light of sunset stretched across the Pride Lands like a blanket of fire, painting the savanna in warm shades of amber and red. A soft breeze whispered through the tall grasses, stirring the air with the scent of dry earth and blooming acacia. At the base of Pride Rock, Kovu lay sprawled on the ground, howling with laughter. His emerald green eyes shimmered with tears, and his entire body trembled with each gasp of air. “Y–You… you slip when pouncing?!” he cackled. “Hahahahah–h-he said that?!” A few paces away, Vitani stood stiffly, her claws digging into the earth. Her amber eyes burned with fury—and no small amount of embarrassment. “Will you shut up already?! It’s not funny!”                        “Oh, but it is!” Kovu doubled over again, his laughter echoing. “All this time—you chasing him, yelling at him—but when he finally speaks, just to tell you… that you slip, when pouncing!”                          “I don’t slip!” Vitani barked, fluffing up like an indignant porcupine. “It was the frost! You try pouncing on ice!”         “Sure, sure,” Kovu wheezed, wiping at his eyes. “Tell that to him. Oh, the timing!” Footsteps approached from the slope behind them, and soon Simba and Nala stepped into view. They exchanged curious glances as they took in the sight of Kovu writhing in the grass and Vitani seething beside him.                        “What’s going on here?” Simba asked, though a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “It’s Kovu,” Vitani snapped, glaring at the heap of laughter. “He’s lost his mind.”                                                  “I’m fine,” Kovu said between hiccups of laughter. “It’s just—Jitu! He spoke. To her. Just one sentence: ‘You slip when pouncing.’” Simba blinked, then broke into a warm chuckle. “Hahaha, giving pouncing critiques?” Vitani groaned. “It wasn’t critique. It was just… something he noticed!”                                         “Could be his way of helping,” Nala offered gently, leaning against Simba’s side. “Helping?” Vitani frowned. “He clearly teased me.”                                  “Or just saw something you didn’t,” Nala said with a smile. “A good mentor knows when to stay silent… and when to speak.” Vitani’s retort faltered in her throat. Her scowl lingered, but it had softened. “Still. He could’ve said anything else.”                                                         “But chose that,” Kovu said, regaining just enough breath to smirk. “After going at him for weeks—boom. One perfect roast.”                                                           “It wasn’t a roast!” Vitani protested, though her tail flicked with amused irritation. “An observation, then,” Nala said diplomatically, her eyes twinkling. “An observation, heh, that’s rich,” Kovu added, his grin widening. Vitani’s shoulders slumped, and a reluctant smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Okay, maybe it’s… kinda funny.”  “Kinda?” Kovu erupted into fresh laughter. “Vitani, this is history! ‘You slip when pouncing’—I’m carving it on a wall!” Vitani warned, lunging toward him, “I swear—” Kovu leapt to his feet, dancing out of reach. “I’m writing songs about this!” Their laughter tangled together as they chased one another across the golden-lit savanna, their voices carrying high into the warm, painted sky. And far behind them, Pride Rock stood tall—unchanging, watching over a world just a little more joyful than the day before.