• Zazu purred graciously. Then got kicked in the stomach. She howled in pain. Her human yelled at her and then faced the TV again. This wasn't fair! Zazu was starving! Her human hadn't fed her in days. All it did was sit on the couch and drink a frothy liquid that smelled like rancid kitty litter. Speaking of which, Zazu had to go out REALLY badly, but her human did not let her out. And when she did her... stuff... in the house, the human screamed and threw her and beat her. Zazu would do anything to get out... out to the smells of the forest and fresh air which she hadn't smelled since she had been 'adopted' by this monster. Were all humans this bad? But then a odd scent caught her nose. The smell of out side. She followed it, and it led her to a partially open window. She purred with excitement, and with all her remaining energy jumped up and out of the rancid kitty littler smelling house. The beautiful smell of outside nearly knocked her off her feet! Zazu nearly fainted. But she couldn't. But she had to go on. She had to get away from this human. The chances of getting another opportunity like this was very slim.

    Zazu decided that the best thing to do now was to build her strength up. After all, it would not suit her well if she did not have the strength to go on just when she was so far! But then, a scent, delicious and mouthwatering filled her nostrils and made her stumble. She had smelled this scent only once, but she new at once what it was. She was smelling a mouse. Her eyes watered. But then she swallowed back her uncertainty and straightened up. She closed her eyes, as if to make her senses focus more on the mouse. It seemed to help, and she could tell in that direction the mouse was in. She tracked it, and there it was., nibbling on a piece of grass. She lay low, and then with a furious screech of early victory she brought herself down on the mouse that she would eat, that would bring back her strength, and would help her on her journey. But it didn't. It was to help someone else, a wolf at that.



    Miysa was just strolling along, like the rest of her pack, when her father, Basturk touched her shoulder. "Miysa, can you smell that?" He asked. Miysa lifted her nose, and sure enough, there was a rancid smell to the air. "Yes, Basturk. I can," Miysa replied. Then, darkening his gaze, Basturk quarried, "Do you know what it is?" he asked. "No, Basturk. I do not," Miysa tonelessly answered. "That, my darling, is the smell of CAT!! Do you know what this means!?" Basturk shouted. Miysa, puzzled, asked, "Basturk, what is a cat?" The elderly wolf looked at the cub. Then he chuckled, and explained, "Miysa, cats are our prey. We eat them. They taste good. But this cat is not like the others. This cat is special. And special cat's must be killed. This shall be your first assessment, alright? Miysa, you will go and kill this cat. And you must not come back until you have killed it." Basturk directed. "Basturk! What if the cat is too big! What if it is so big that I cannot kill it? Then what shall I do?" Miysa begged for an answer. "Miysa, my sunshine, cats are small! It is easy kill, easy prey, alright? Now go, and be the wolf I know you are!" Miysa looked stunned at her father's sudden enthusiasm. And she trotted off. Miysa did not want to kill the 'cat'. She would much rather go after something that she knew she could eat, and that Basturk would praise her for and she what it looked like! I like a mouse! That is good! Ah ha! There was one there! But it looked like there was already something trying to pounce on it... Miysa must get there first! No one was going to take her mouse from her! She would kill the mouse and the monster that was trying to take her lunch!

    Zazu looked aghast. A wolf! A real wolf! Unbelievable! She closed here eyes a few times, and then opened them. Then, when she thought she had enough courage to ask the wolf's name, it turned to her and snarled, "So YOU were the one trying to steal my lunch! I will kill you and rip you to the bone!" Zazu laughed. The wolf was taken back. "I mean it!" But then it seemed that the wolf go an idea because then it added, "I will only spare you if you tell me where that 'cat' is,"
    "Why should I?" Zazu asked mysteriously. "What will you do to this cat?"
    "I will kill it!!" the wolf cub snarled. Zazu laughed. "And what if I were to say that I was the cat?" The wolf stuttered, and then replied sheepishly, "I don't know. I really don't know." Zazu looked thoughtful, and then asked, "I am Zazu. What is your name?" The wolf brightened considerably, and replied, "I am Miysa! Nice to meet you, Zazu!" The two animals started opening up with each other, all differences forgotten. But all was not well. And all can never be well when Basturk is around! He leaped from the bushes and pinned Zazu to the ground. "Miysa...!" She choked. Miysa howled in rage at her father. "Basturk! Get off that 'cat'! She is my friend and I will never let you hurt her!" And Miysa struck. She struck out and hit and harmed flesh. She clawed her father's face and left a scar there that would be used for who-knows-how-long-later to identify this villain. And Basturk screeched and fell down, but he got back up and left Zazu and tore at Miysa and would have killed his own daughter but then there was Vurik. Vurik the leader. He had been watching the whole time. "Basturk! What are you doing!? Trying to kill your own daughter!?" But Basturk's rage was univentible and he struck out at Vurik. But Vurik retaliated and in full fury, he bit Basturk to unconsciousness. And he left him. And when he got back to his group, there was an announcement that Basturk was to be banned and him caught anywhere near any of his former pack would be death.

    Miysa looked horrified. "Zazu! My dad! My own dad tried to kill me!" Zazu, sympathetic, replied, "No father is that much of a monster, Miysa. This wolf maybe related to you by blood, but he is as distant as the moon in soul." Miysa was greatful for the words, and she turned to her new friend. "Zazu, you need to come back with me. You need to come back with me to my group and that way we can be friends forever!" Zazu's eyes brightened so much they shone like the sun. But then, she queried, "but will your pack allow it?" Miysa looked away. "It would be hard, but maybe i could convince them to let you stay." she replied. "I just hope none of them eat you!" And while Miysa howled in laughter, Zazu reluctantly lifted the corner of her lip in artificial laughter. "Anyway, let's go!"

    Their plan was a complete failure. Zazu was not only turned down, but Miysa was scolded and bitten for her stupidity. But later, the two thought of a plan...

    "Zazu! This might just work!" Miysa said, giving Zazu no clues what so ever as to what she was talking about. "Dare I ask?" The cat teased. "Yes! Because it is brilliant!" Miysa insisted. Zazu rolled her eyes, and asked, "OK, what is it?" Miysa brightened considerably. "Zazu, this is an excuse of how we can stay together! Ok so here it is, you travel with me and my pack in secrecy, and that way I can train you to hunt and stuff so when you have to leave or something, you can survive!" But Zazu only looked concerned. "Miysa, I see a few loopholes. Like, what if we get caught? Or, what if someone notices you missing? Or what if I cannot keep up? Or what if I can't learn it all in time if someone catches you? I just don't think that it will work... But I like the idea! I love it!" But Zazu's reassuring words did not sooth Miysa. The cub growled at her own stupidity. "Well I am a stubborn wolf, and I think we can at least try it!" Zazu was reluctant, but in the end, the cat was convinced and so it began.

    The Dachshund was sniffing around. But her human called her back, she immediately came. The smell that she had smelt was most peculiar... it was kind of like a mix of cat and wolf... Patty decided to check it out again after her meal. Her human patted Patty on the head and went to the door to let the dog out again. This time Patty followed the smell to it's source and found the animals. How weird! They were snuggling together as if they knew each other. Patty was too psyched out to keep looking, but on her way back she stepped on a twig and it made a sound so seemingly loud that it echoed around the whole forest that she was in. Well, it definitely awoke the cat. She yawned, and looked straight at Patty. Patty barked. The cat hissed. The commotion awoke the wolf, and it asked the cat without looking at Patty, "Zazu, what is going on? Is something wrong?" The wolf was going to say more, but then it saw the dog, and growled, "What do you want, filth?" Patty was shocked. Did this wolf dare have the courage to call her filth? Patty retaliated with a noisy yap. The wolf pounced. Patty clawed. The wolf bit. Zazu sat, horrified, at the sidelines, hardly able to take the violence. "STOP!!" She screeched. And to Patty, she asked, "What is your business here, dog?" Patty replied with pride in her voice, "My name is Patty and I am a Dachshund. What might you two forest filth be?" Ignoring the forest filth part, Zazu answered, "My name is Zazu, and I am a tortoiseshell cat," and when the wolf did not say, Zazu said for her, "And this is Miysa, a Ethiopian wolf, as you might already know. Well, now that we are all introduced, you might as well tell us why you are here," Patty spat, "This isn't your forest! You two are no older than puppies!" Taken back by the age taunt, Miysa hung her head. "We never said it was ours...!"
    "Than why is it your business if I am here or not?" Patty taunted, remembering only too late that Miysa was a wolf. Her pack might come along any time. The dachshund shrank away. Pity welled up in Zazu's eyes and she welcomed the dog. Patty graciously accepted the kind motion and agreed to join them, going on their way to wherever it might be. The journey had begun.

    Miysa's training was going well with Patty and Zazu, and they were learning lots. So far they had learned what kinds of food were best for their size (Patty and Zazu were about the same size), where are the best places to find the prey, what parts of the prey was best to eat, and how to pay respect to their food that they were given. And they had not been caught. Yet. Soon, Miysa promised to teach them how to fight, and the two other non-wolf animals accepted with eagerness. It took a while, but in the end, (about 2 months) Patty and Zazu got the hang of fighting and hunting. Of course, they did not know everything, because their knowledge was as limited as the cub wolf's, and Miysa barely knew anything, just like a small wolf should.

    Their plan had been working now for a long time. The three friends were starting to think that they could do this forever when one lesson they were caught. They were caught by Vurik, the pack chief. He got into a mad rampage about Miysa giving away their secrets to other species, when Miysa interrupted and protected, "These two are my friends! They would never betray me or you!" And that was one of the worst things she could have said then, because she was banished, just like her father before her. They chased them all out, and swore that if they were ever seen again with the eyes of the pack, they would be killed.

    Miysa was overcome with grief for the next few days, until Zazu finally gave a pep talk to the wolf. It bucked her up a little, enough to let her admit that she had been silly to over react like that. but now they had to think of a plan, and fast. Time was slipping away like sand, and every moment was wasted was like losing a whole dinner when you were starving. Schemes were going terribly, but then there was a noise. A terrible noise, like a mixture of a snarl and a screech. Patty looked over her shoulder, and screamed. There, was a rouge pack of wolves. It was so huge that there was no sign of ground for what seemed ever. And they were lead by Basturk. "Basturk! How could you!?" Miysa breathed. A sneer appeared on Basturk's face and wolves all around that could hear howled with laughter. "My lovely daughter, this is not a good way to talk to your future leader," Miysa looked horrified. "What are you talking about?" More laughter. "Join us, Miysa, and help us conquer the lions," then all the three friends had puzzled faces on. "What do you have against the lions, Basturk?" He laughed, and replied, "Why, nothing at all! But you do know how lions rule all of Africa, right? Well, must you know-"
    "THEY RULE FOR A REASON!!"Zazu screeched. "You plan to take over them so you and your gang can rule?" Patty was aghast. "Never! I refuse!" Miysa concluded. "Very well, daughter, then that is how it must be," And Basturk and his group were gone as fast as he had came, pack and all.

    There was no arguments the next night. They all knew what they had to do. They had to reach the lions before the wolves did and tell them of the wolves treason. They would start early the next morning.

    None of the friends liked all the hurried walking, but they soon got used to it. But after a week of non-stop walking, there more sings that the wolves were still ahead of them. Patty almost cried. She kept complaining that she would much rather be back with her human, snuggled up on her lap, Zazu was slow and cranky out of thirst, so it seemed Miysa was the only one who was keeping them in order. And thanks to her constant walking, they soon were about level with the evil wolf pack. But level was not good enough, they had to get close. Earshot close.

    It was hard, but in the end they got close enough to the base of the pack (by covering Miysa with dirt so it was harder to recognize her and the wolves led her into camp) to overhear Basturk's plans. "What do you mean, you missed the announcement?" He yelped at Miysa. "Sir, I was out hunting!" The cub improvised. "Well go get someone else to tell you, my growl is sore enough as it is." And it was not hard to find someone to tell her. The news was absolutely buzzing around the group. "We will attack from above!" Miysa was just about to ask what he meant when he was brushed away by another wolf who looked closely at Miysa. "You look a lot like Basturk's kid, you know that?" Miysa yelped and ran back to Zazu and Patty.

    "From above? How are they going to do that? Grow wings?" Patty snorted in laughter at the thought. "Apparently," Miysa answered. "But why are they resting? Shouldn't they be trying to reach the lions?" But they all knew the joyous and dreaded answer to that. They were already there. They were near the lions. Their territory couldn't be too far off.

    They spent all day looking for a lion when at dusk, they finally found one. It was so big, so gracious, so gorgeous that Patty, Zazu and Miysa were all taken off their feet. The lion looked at all of them and licked his lips. "Well, well, well... some delicious prey that decided to wander away from their mommy and daddy. What a pity,"
    "No! Please! We bring a warning! From the wolves!" And then the lion's face grew rock-hard. "Follow me."

    "Let me get this straight. Above? They are going to attack us from above? Did you knock your head on a rock? Wolves don't fly!" The head lion roared with laughter at his own comment. "Please sir! Believe us! We don't know how-" But then Zazu's eyes caught something. Her eyes widened. There. A ditch. A huge ditch. A canyon. But Miysa, seeing Zazu stop, completed her sentence for her. "We don't know how. They will though, I heard it myself!" But Zazu knew something. "The canyon," She said aloud. Realization and fear spread like wildfire through the lions. The wolves were going to lure the lions into the canyon and attack them from above.

    It had been days now and no sign of the wolves. The lions were getting impatient and skeptical, and they started snarling at the three friends. Obviously, they thought that the three had just got them ready for battle for nothing. But then, on the end of the first week, there was sign of wolf. There was a dead deer carcass, and then footprints that lead into the canyon. Normally,
    the lions would have followed them, eager to tear apart the wolf who did this, but the stranger's warning was clear now, they were leading them into the canyon to kill them. But one problem. In order to kill the wolves, they had to know where they were, and the only place that they could be would be in the canyon (yes, they had already checked the place that they were at before) but if they went there it was sure to an ambush. But they were assured by Patty that the wolves were sure to get impatient soon, and just try to kill the lions outright. And they did.

    Bloodthirsty and snarling, the wolves came in the dead of night, assuming that the lions would be asleep. But they weren't. They were wide awake, ready for attack and that is just what they got. It was a bloody night for everyone.

    It all started when the rain came down in buckets among buckets. The lions couldn't see where they were going, but the wolves seemed to know exactly. They had an advantage in the rain, and also in numbers. There were hundreds of lions, but thousands of wolves. There was no way they could win. But they fought anyway.

    Zazu had enough. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to do something more than just fight. So she prayed. She prayed to the mountains, to the grass, to the rain, to everything. And nothing happened. Not for another half hour, at least. Something caught Zazu's eye. and she couldn't believe what the was seeing. Sunshine. All around the mountain. And she had a brainstorm.

    "WE NEED TO LURE THE WOLVES TO THE MOUNTAIN!!" Zazu yelled. "IT IS OUR ONLY WAY!!" The lions looked at the mountain, and were so glee-filled, that they almost just lost all desire to fight and ran towards the sunshine. But they didn't. Instead the slowly worked their way backwards. Towards the sun.

    The wolves suspected nothing, and kept attacking. However, they did notice the rain thinning but took no notice. Who cares? They would win this battle anyway... But they did notice when the rain thinned enough. They were so surprised when that happened, that they all yelped, but kept on fighting. But even though the wolves advantage was lost, they were still winning. That is, until reinforcements came to the rescue... The rest of Miysa's wolf pack. It was like a miracle. No- it was. Basturk and his group were finally out numbered. The lions had the advantage. They attacked with full force now, not letting one wolf escape. But they still new that there was no way that they could win this now without killing Basturk. But he was too strong. He could kill three lions with one swipe of his paw, there was no way anyone could beat him. But someone had to try. Basturk's death; the only way they could officially win. No one else was doing anything, so Zazu had to. She would either emerge victorious or die a hero, both of which appealed to her as very appetizing. So she attacked.

    Basturk was too strong!! What had she gotten herself into!? But she was good, too. In the corner of her eye she noticed that all of the other animals had stopped fighting in order to watch this amazing battle between a cat and a wolf. But Zazu took no notice. She fought with heart and soul. In her ear, she could hear Miysa and Patty straining to help their friend, but the lions would not let them. This was a fight between Zazu and Basturk. But in her mind, she was deaf. Nothing mattered except that she defeat Basturk and save all of the animals from Basturk's evil command. She beat, dodged, clawed, hissed, spat, howled in pain, and kept standing even though her sides hurt as though they had just been cut off. But that was not enough.

    At long last, Basturk found Zazu's weakness. Her head. He lay a final blow there and it struck Zazu and she fell back uttering a pitiful mew of defeat as she struck the ground with a sickening crunch. Then she lay motionless. Miysa howled and Patty yapped. Dumbfounded, the lions let the friends join for one last time. Miysa whimpered. They were all intent on Zazu. Miysa and Patty watched, wishing that they could do something, as they watched the last life leave Zazu's eyes forever. She was dead. All animals bowed their head to their new hero. But when Basturk shook with weakness and rage, they all attacked, soon leaving him lifeless and cold.

    Miysa and Patty took Zazu's body and carried her to a stream. Miysa felt her hair prickling with sadness. So she tried one last time. "Zazu? Come on, get up. We can hunt together, if you want. I'd bet you are hungry, sleeping for so long. Please? Come on... get up..." Patty's eyes were clouded with sadness and despair. "She tried so hard..." the dachshund whimpered. Uttering a forced laugh, Miysa stated, "And to think... to thing of all the times when she told me... she told me how she escaped to find the fresh air... and how... how she thought it was like being freed... freed from a smelly torturous place... hah...if only she had known that... know that leaving that tortuous place would lead her to her doom..." Patty looked desperate for Zazu to just wake up... and they could play again. Play fight... and hunt... but never again. "She would have wanted to die like this," Vurik stated. "to die a hero helping people and freeing them. And that is how she did die. Zazu is a hero, Miysa, Patty, and she is happy now. Don't mourn for someone's happiness, friends, but be happy with her. Would she have wanted you to waste away the days worrying about her when there was still a mission to accomplish?" The friends looked curious. "Really? What is that?" Vurik looked towards the sky, sighed, and replied, "It is a myth, young ones, that all heros return in another body once they die, to once again do great deeds. Now, we must find this new Zazu, before evil can influence her."