Swifty's Tale

Written by: Caldafox
== Story ==
A cheetah cub was born in a faraway region. His name was Swifty. His mother often left him alone while she went hunting. This gave her young son plenty of opportunities to meet new friends - or get into trouble.
One day, Swifty came across a lion cub named Simba, who was with his friends Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog. Swifty, who was very arrogant, took the opportunity to brag. "I'm the fastest animal in the region! Nobody can win a race against me!"
"You're not that fast," young Simba challenged. "I've seen lots of animals run faster than you."
Swifty went so far to prove his point that he insulted them all! Angered, Simba agreed to race Swifty that afternoon.
They met at the river. Swifty continued to challenge and insult the trio. "There's a storm coming, and it looks like a nasty one." Timon warned, looking at the sky. But Swifty didn't listen. He thought they were just making excuses to not race him.
As the race started and progressed, Swifty was obviously winning. The finish "cave" was just ahead, and Timon, Pumbaa and Simba were nowhere in sight. Unknown to Swifty, they had almost been struck by lightning, and had wisely sought out a place to hide. As the young cheetah entered the cave and boasted to himself about his win, lightning struck the entrance and lit the dry grass on fire. He was trapped inside!
"Heeeelp!" He cried, but no one heard him... until Simba, Timon and Pumbaa rushed to his aide! Pumbaa pushed big rocks into the almost-flooding river, and Simba led Swifty onto them. The river flooded under the weight, and it put out the fire.
Exhausted, Simba and Swifty collapsed inside the cave. Timon and Pumbaa came across them and feared the worst, but the two cubs told them they were ok. Swifty complimented Simba's bravery, having learned an important lesson.
After the storm was ended, Swifty bid farewell to his rescuers and headed home. He sat down on a rock and waited for his mother to return. She did momentarily, carrying half a carcass with her.
"Mom! Mother! You'll never believe what happened to me today!" Swifty exclaimed, bounding up to his mom.
She blinked slowly. "I'm all ears." She answered simply.
Swifty then proceeded to explain in detail the whole story. When he finished, his mom just looked at him. "That's good," she replied. "Good thing you didn't get hurt."
"I know it!" Swifty said. "I'm never gonna race in bad weather again! And I'll never insult others to get my point across." He leaped from his rock to the ground as he spoke, almost stumbling, but his mom caught him by his scruff.
He smiled at his mother, who barely cracked a smile herself.
Years passed. Swifty grew up and headed off on his own. "Goodbye, mother." He said. "I will miss you."
"Be safe," Swifty's mother replied. "I will!" Swifty declared, then raced off, his mother watching him leave.
Swifty traveled for weeks before coming across a previously barren land. It was now flourishing and beautiful. Swifty had heard about the Pride Lands' history, and was pleasantly surprised to find out who was now ruling the land.
He approached a pride of lions who were hanging out in the shade. "Hey loser," he said to the leader. "So, how did you end up as King of the Pride Lands again? I'd like to know all about it."
Simba turned around with a disgusted look on his face. "Excuse me?" he asked. He was met with the smiling face of Swifty. 
"Swifty!" He exclaimed. "It's good to see you again! How did you get here?"
"We cheetahs are way faster than you lions," Swifty smirked. "Thus we travel faster. You should know that from experience."
"Yes, I remember." The two laughed. "Let me introduce you to the pride," Simba offered. Swifty gladly agreed. Soon all the lionesses knew the story of Swifty's humbling. He liked it in the Pride Lands so much, Simba let him stay.
"If I would've known you were a prince, I never would've treated you that way," Swifty told Simba one day, as he sat with Simba and Nala.
"Oh, then you'd respect me?" Simba jested. They shared another laugh.
In the following months, Swifty met a female cheetah and had a cub with her, Beba. Simba and Nala's son Kopa was born around the same time. Beba took to his father's younger self personality and soon made himself a nuisance to Kopa by briefly stealing his best friend, Afua, with his constant proclaiming of his physical strengths.
After that was settled, Swifty had a talk with his son while hanging out with Simba and Nala. "I hear that you've been bragging a bit lately, son." Swifty started, with a paw around his cub. "You shouldn't start up a habit of that."
"But I've got gifts, Dad!" Beba said. He really did look and sound a lot like his father did as a cub. "And I want everyone to know it!"
"You shouldn't make others feel bad in the process, however." Swifty chastised. "Kopa and Afua's friendship was on the line. Make sure, from now on, to not brag as much about your talents."
"Alright alright," Beba replied. "Whatever you say, Pops." They nuzzled, and Beba went back to playing.
From then on, Beba did not bother Kopa again. Their reunion as adults was pleasant.
Swifty and Simba maintained a good friendship that lasted for years.
THE END.
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Caldafox
Category:Caldafox's Fanfics