My Little Lion King

Chapter 2

-A few years later-

It was an early morning, and Dusk Shine who grew into a little colt that hasn't earned his cutie mark yet looked out onto his balcony near his bedroom and smiled. Today was the day that his father Prince Solaris would spend time with him. He ran out of his bedroom, and went to his parents's bedroom. He opened the bedroom door, and said "Dad! Daad! Come on, Dad, we gotta go! Wake up!" He got on the bed where Prince Solaris and Princess Celestia slept, and climbed on Prince Solaris as he said "Dad? Daad!" As Dusk Shine said Dad multiple times, Princess Celestia said "Your son is awake." Prince Solaris groaned, and said "Before sunrise, he's your son." "Dad?" Dusk Shine called out. "Come on, dad!" He pulled his father's mane, but he still wouldn't budged, and he fell off the bed as he said "Dad! Whoa!" He then kicked the bed, waking his father up, and said "You promised!" Prince Solaris looked down on his son, sighed, and said "Okay, okay. I'm up. I'm up." "Yeah!" Dusk Shine said as he got off the bed, and Prince Solaris let out a yawn. Dusk Shine's parents got up, and walked out the door with their son following them. Dusk Shine gave Princess Celestia a hug, and she nudged him to follow his father. She watched her husband, and her son walking to the highest balcony with a smile on her face. When Dusk Shine, and Prince Solaris arrived at the balcony, the sun was rising.

"Look Dusk Shine." Prince Solaris said pointing towards the horizon. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom." "Wow." Dusk Shine said in awe. "A prince's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun." Prince Solaris said. "One day, Dusk Shine, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new prince of Equestria." "And this will all be mine?" Dusk Shine asked. Prince Solaris nodded, and said "Everything." "Everything the light touches." Dusk Shine said as he looked around until he spotted the Everfree Forest covered in shadows. "What about that shadowy place?" "That's beyond our borders." Prince Solaris said. "You must never go there, Dusk Shine." "But I thought a prince can do whatever he wants?" Dusk Shine said. "Oh there's more to being prince than getting your way all the time." Prince Solaris said smiling. "There's more?" Dusk Shine asked in awe. Prince Solaris chuckled, and said "Dusk Shine." Prince Solaris placed his son on his back, and he began to fly over the ponies have a wonderful day. "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance." Prince Solaris said. "As prince, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures both great and small. From the crawling ant to the leaping antelope."

"But dad, don't the lions eat the antelope?" Dusk Shine asked. "Yes Dusk Shine, but let me explain." Prince Solaris said. "When the lions die, their bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass, and some ponies take care of the animals. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life." He spotted Spike on a grassy hill, and he flew down. "Good morning, sire!" Spike said as Prince Solaris landed on the ground, and Dusk Shine got off of his father's back. "Good morning, Spike." Prince Solaris said smiling. "Checking in with the morning report." Spike said. Prince Solaris nodded, and said "Fire away." As Spike began to talk about his morning report, Dusk Shine spotted a grasshopper, and started to pounce on it. While Spike was still talking, Prince Solaris looked at his son who was busy pouncing, and said "What are you doing, son?" Dusk Shine pounce on the grasshopper, but it got away. "Pouncing." He said. Prince Solaris knelt down to his son, and "Let an old pro show you how it's done."

"The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can't." Spike said still talking about the morning report. "Spike, would you turn around." Prince Solaris asked. "Yes, sire." Spike said as he turned around. As Spike continued to talk, Prince Solaris pushed Dusk Shine to the ground, and whispered "Stay low to the ground." "Okay, stay low to the ground, right?" Dusk Shine asked in a whisper as his father shushed him. "What's going on?" Spike asked as he realized that something was amiss. "A pouncing lesson." Prince Solaris said. "Oh very good. Pouncing." Spike said before he realized what was really going on. "POUNCING?! Oh no, sire, you can't be serious!" Prince Solaris just motion for Spike to turn around. Spike did what Prince Solaris asked him to do as he said "Oh, this is so humiliating!" "Try not to make a sound." Prince Solaris whispered to Dusk Shine.

"What are you telling him, Prince Solaris?" Spike asked as he looked around uneasily, and noticed that Prince Solaris and Dusk Shine seemed to have disappeared on him. "Prince Solaris? Dusk Shine?" Then without warning Dusk Shine pounced on Spike who screamed, and landed on the ground. Prince Solaris laughed as Dusk Shine got off of Spike who was stunned. "That's very good." Prince Solaris as he laughed again. Just then a pegasai pony named Fleetfoot approached Spike, and said "Spike." "Yes?" Spike asked feeling exasperated by the pounce. "Sir. News from Cloudsdale!" Fleetfoot said. "Now this time-." Prince Solaris started to say as he was about to teach Dusk Shine how to pounce again, but then Spike got up, and urgently said "Prince Solaris! Siren ponies! In Ponyville!" As Prince Solaris prepared to leap into action, he said "Spike, take Dusk Shine home." "Oh, Dad, can't I come?" Dusk Shine asked. Prince Solaris shook his head and said "No, son." As his father left to take care of the problem, Dusk Shine started to walk home, sighed, and said "I never get to go anywhere." "Oh, young master, one day you will be the new prince of Equestria." Spike said as he escorted Dusk Shine, and tried to cheer him up. "Then you can chase those slobbering mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk."