Spoiler: show
Kisasi hated Simba. Even more than she previously had. Because of him, her mother was gone. She thought about the last time she had seen her mother. Well, the last time she had seen her mother when she was still loyal to Scar. Zira had been on a rock overlooking Kisasi and her mother. "Scruffy!" She had said. "It's Chakavu." Her mother had groaned at Zira's horrible nickname for her. "You act as though I care. Are you ready for battle?" Zira asked expectantly. "Almost. Kisasi, honey, we will be back by morning. Then I will take you back to the Pridelands and we will live there. Angua's son Kitwana will be here. Good luck." And with that, her mother left. The last time Kisasi had truly seen her mother was when she had come back to retrieve Kisasi. "Kisasi! Kitwana! Where are you?" Kisasi and Kitwana had gone running. They waited in the shadows of the cave, waiting for Kisasi's mother to come nearer. "Kisasi! Kitwana! You have to come with me to the Pridelands! Guess what? We are one with the Pridelanders! Simba is our king and we are fine! Now let's go home." Kisasi gaped. Her mother had betrayed all that she had ever believed. She waited for her mom to pass. Once she was out of earshot, Kisasi's mind filled with questions "Are you crazy?" exclaimed Kitwana quietly. "She was our ticket back home! Come on!" "No." "What do you mean, 'no?'" "She has gone against our beliefs. We can't do that, too. Scar is our leader, and we've got to stick with that." "Well... How will we survive?" "How did Simba survive in the jungle?" "He ate bugs." Kisasi sighed and regretted asking the question. "Well, we'll survive. Our mothers and their Pridesisters have survived for so long. We'll live. I know it." And they did. They scavenged like hyenas. It wasn't the best life, but it was a life all the same. They lived that way for quite a while. And one day, Kitwana brought news, huffing and puffing. "The heir has been presented. It's a boy!" "A boy? But boys are dumb! They can't take care of a kingdom! They need their queen to..." She smiled like she had seen Zira do. "A boy will work perfectly." She said, as she schemed up a storm.
The cub lay in his mother’s arms, seemingly asleep. She looked down upon him and smiled. She was sure that someday he would be a good king. She scanned her kingdom, and around behind her. Finally her eyes met Vitani’s. She was smiling, so Kiara smiled back. She returned her eyes to her cub again. He was his father’s boy of course, but he was a shade or so lighter. As an old mandrill stepped up onto Pride Rock, he smiled upon the boy. Kiara watched as he sprinkled powder onto her cub. Suddenly he sneezed, spraying the powder in all directions. Kiara giggled, and Rafiki chuckled. He grabbed up the cub, suddenly but gently. He walked to the tip of the rock, and raised the little cub. The little boy bared his teeth at the animals below, who were celebrating. The elephants trumpeted their trunks, the monkeys jumped up and down, and the zebras stamped their hooves with happiness.
When the mother had her cub returned to her, and the ceremony was over, Rafiki headed down the rock to a younger mandrill. She belonged to Rafiki’s cousin, Karibu, and as Rafiki had no heirs, he took her as an apprentice to be the king’s next shaman.
“Is that really how you do it, Uncle Rafiki?”
“Yes, Tarajali,” said Rafiki chuckling, “That’s all.”
“Well, if I had known that...”
“Come along, now. Let’s head to the tree.” He led her to his baobab tree, and quickly scaled it. Tarajali, on the other hand, was a different matter.
“How do you do that?” She yelled at Rafiki, trying to do the same. Rafiki sighed, and held out his hand. Tarajali took it, and used her back legs to push herself up.
Rafiki seemed to forget Tarajali’s problem. “Tarajali,” he said, jumping from foot to foot. “As the king's shaman, you must pay close attention to detail. Look away." Tarajali did as her mentor said. There was much shuffling and rustling, and a thunk. Tarajali wondered if Rafiki had left her alone in the tree, but as Rafiki said, "If you have patience you can take out the holes of an anthill." So she waited. Suddenly Rafiki was in her face. "I have taken something away from this scene and added something to it. Find what." Tarajali thought long and hard. "You took away the gourd, there, and added that leaf." Rafiki chuckled. "Yes! Do it again." She turned, and after a long while of silence, Rafiki said, "I'm ready." Tarajali looked up and down for a very long time, but there was nothing. Her eyes landed on a a gourd, but she remembered that being there. She thought longer and harder, but nothing had changed, as far as she could tell. "I give up." Rafiki burst into laughter. "I took away that gourd," He pointed to the one that had caught Tarajali's attention, "And added it!" He began to laugh again. Sometimes Tarajali wondered about that mandrill. "Here now. We have work to do." He said, suddenly serious. He cracked open a gourd, dipped his finger inside, and painted a figure on his tree. It was, quite unmistakably, the cub presented that day. The future king. Tarajali soaked her finger in the paint and made a mark on the cub's forehead. "Maana."
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" said a young voice, running through the cave and tripping over his friends and their mothers. "Oh, Maana, go back to sleep." groaned Kiara. "But mom, you promised. You promised!" Kiara moaned and rose from the rock she was sleeping on. "Good luck..." whispered Kovu, rolling over. "Nope," said his mate, nudging him, "you're coming too." He stretched and followed his mate and cub. They walked out to the tip of Pride Rock and gazed upon the lands below. "See, everything the light touches is our kingdom." "Really? Wow." Said Maana, a bit nervous at the prospect of all this responsibility. "Me too! Me too! Me too! Me too! Me too!" A young, but surprisingly loud voice came from the cave, and a little cub ran out. There were whines and growls from the cave. "Changa!" hissed Kiara. "They're sleeping in there!" "Oh... Sorry... Uhhhh, can I join you?" He asked politely and quietly. "Of course," replied his father. Changa scurried up to his parents and brother. "A ruler's time in charge rises and sets like the sun." Kiara continued, "One day, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you in charge. And Changa second-in-command." They headed down off of Pride Rock to the savannah below. "Everything you see lives together, in a fragile balance. As king," "And second-in-command!" Interjected Changa. "Yes, as king and second-in-command, you need to understand said balance, and respect all the creatures-- from the tiniest inchworm to the towering elephant. Even the grass." "But grass isn't a creature." Maana said, puzzled. "But Maana, the grass is made up of creatures. When we die, our bodies become the grass. It's just the Circle of Life." "Checking in with the morning report, sire," said Zazu, landing on a rock. "Of course. Have at it." replied Kovu, listening carefully. "Let's move on," whispered Kiara to her cubs. As they did, Kiara led them to a deserted, dry part of land across the river. "These are the Outlands. Your father used to live here." "I remember that! And Aunt Vitani, too, right?" Asked Changa rather loudly. "Yes, dear. Here is where--" All of a sudden Kovu ran up. "Hey. You aren't showing them my homeland without me, are you?" "Of course not. I was waiting for you." She smiled sweetly. "Uh-huh. Sure." He sauntered closer to his cubs and began to explain in detail what it was like to live where he did. Kiara, smiling at the cubs' amazement, slunk away. This was really his moment. "You see, your grandfather was kind enough to let me live in the Pridelands, but it took awhile. We needed to form trust. And in the final moments before Zira showed up, he told me that what's left behind can grow better than the generation before. If given the chance..." Suddenly Zazu flew up to Kovu, interrupting his lesson. "Sire, the elephants! They are warring with each other! You must put a stop to it!" "Gather Simba and the most able lionesses. Maana, Changa, head back to Pride Rock." And with that, he hurried away. "I wish dad wasn't so busy all the time." mumbled Maana. "Well, he is king." Maana didn't reply. He only walked in the direction of his home, head down.
"They're alone!" Kitwana said from his hiding spot. "Perfect." Kisasi headed toward the cubs, running her plan through her head again. "I wish dad wasn't so busy all the time." mumbled the older one. "Well, he is king." said the younger cub. The future king didn't reply. He walked in the direction of Pride Rock, head down. "Well, it's more than that." said Kisasi, escaping the shadows. "What do you mean?" asked the older one. "Well, your father was an Outsider. He doesn't care as much for those born in the Pridelands." "That's not true!" Changa shouted. "Yeah," "Ha! You act as though this one is the future king." She motioned to Changa. "Well, fine by me. It's happened before, you know. But the older one dealt with it. He hadn't a choice. Lucky for him, he got his kingdom back. Until someone came to steal his throne." "That really happened?" "Yes. His name was Taka. Better known as Scar." "But... But... Scar was younger." "Well, your grandfather keeps a lot of secrets from you. He took the throne that wasn't his." Kisasi marveled at how easily she could lie to this cub. "Maana, don't listen to her!" "No, no. Tell me the whole story. What really happened?" "Well, if you won't listen to me, than maybe you'll listen to mom!" He ran off, only to bump into Kitwana. "Hello." "Uh... Uh..." Kitwana threw the little cub against a rock, knocking him out. Then he grabbed him up by the scruff of his neck, and took him back to his hiding place. There Kitwana sat and waited anxiously. "...And Mufasa tried to push him off of the ledge to be rid of him forever. But Scar narrowly escaped, accidentally pushing his brother off in the process. He knew his nephew would spread rumors that Scar had done it on purpose, so with a heavy heart, he banished Simba." Suddenly rain began to fall. "Here, let's go in the cave. We'll have protection from the rain there." Very willingly, he followed her into the nearby cave, where she continued her story. "The hyenas threatened to kill poor Scar if he didn't let them in the pride, too. He had no choice. He wasn't the strongest of lions, you know. As the time passed with him as king, a massive drought and a famine lay upon the Pridelands. Suddenly Mufasa's nephew returned, seeking vengeance for his father's death. He had been blaming Scar his whole life. Only then did he have the courage to return. When Scar told him the honest truth, saying the hyenas hunted too much and caused the famine, the hyenas got mad and mauled Scar. Do you know see why we follow him? We know that he was right." "Wow... I had better tell my parents..." "No! You see, they will make you believe what they want you to. Soon, you'll no longer be able to follow the truth. Come on, when you have grown, you can tell them the truth. And when you take your place as king, they will understand. But you can't go now. You have no power against them. We can build it. Come with me to the jungle. It's far enough away that no one can find you and brainwash you. Come on! Let's make a difference!" "But my brother. He told them already. They'll be here in no time." "Uh, my friend... He's really... stubborn. He promised he would help me train you if he got a sidekick." "Well, that's okay. He can help me tell them all the truth!" "That's the positive attitude I'm looking for. Let's go!" And without hesitation, Maana pursued Kisasi into the faraway jungle.
Kovu paced in front of Pride Rock. "Where are they?" He muttered to himself. He'd never been worried like this before. He'd even been calmer in the battle for Pride Rock. "Have they come yet?" asked Kiara, briskly walking down toward her mate. "No sign of them." He replied, still pacing. "I told them to go straight home!" He yelled to no one in particular. Driven by worry, he mumbled to himself. "Come on, Kovu. It's too late for that. Come inside." Reluctantly, he made his way to Pride Rock's cave, not taking his eyes off of the horizon. "They'll be here," said Kiara reassuringly, even though she herself didn't believe it. "They will."
"That bug, there." Maana pounced. "The log. That stick. Into the river." Maana did all of everything that Kisasi told him. It was, after all, to help him train. He was grown now, along with the rest of them. Changa lay at he feet of Kitwana, eagerly waiting for the chance to run off and go home. Even after all this time, there hadn't been one, but there was no reason to give up hope. "Excellent, Maana. Let's relax with a leg of zebra." He nodded and searched through the jungle for a zebra that may have wandered there. "Ah, life is good, isn't it, Kitwana?" He replied with a nod of his head. "Only problem is, the second cub won't do anything." He scratched Changa on the back. Changa wanted to react, but it wouldn't result in much. They'd just attack him, and then where'd he be? Besides, they didn't feed him that well. He was scrawny, even though he was larger in build. "Maana's a good best friend." said Kitwana suddenly. "I don't know what I'd do without him." Kisasi growled at not being mentioned. "And you're a good leader." he added hastily. She relaxed and lay down, contented. They lay in silence until Maana returned with an entire antelope. "Sorry. We were fresh out of zebra." "Eh. Good enough for me." Kisasi tore into the meal, and when she was full, Maana and Kitwana followed suit. The scraps they threw to Changa. It wasn't much of a life for him, but it was a life. Kisasi yelled at Maana to keep practicing. But it was simple. He was strong enough. Strong enough to take down his father.
Kovu was lost. With his sons nowhere in sight, he couldn't take it. He called all the lionesses to Pride Rock to question them. "WHERE ARE MY SONS?" Of course none of them knew, so when they all answered, "I don't know," Kovu would almost tear himself apart. Kiara was in tears. Her Kovu, her other half, her peacemaker, was engulfed in grief and worry. And he expressed it the only way he knew how. When Kovu got to the last lioness, his sister, he was broken, in pieces. Slowly and angrily, he asked, "WHERE... ARE... MY... SONS?" Vitani was crying too. Her brother was actually scaring her. "I don't know. I'm so sorry." Kovu had had enough. He roared in anguish and raised his paw, claws extended. Vitani whimpered. She knew how much strength went into on of Kovu's blows. She closed her eyes, tears flooding down her face. And suddenly, she was skidding across Pride Rock, her cheek smarting. She knew there was blood there too. When she had mostly recovered from the shock, it occurred to her to stop sliding. She dug her claws into the rock and almost slid off. "Vitani!" Screamed her mother, and all the lionesses rushed to the dangling girl. But Kovu would not have it. He pushed the lionesses away and saw how his sister was dangling as helplessly as the late king Mufasa. He quickly, without warning, shoved his claws into Vitani's paws. She screamed, not only from the pain, but from her sorrow. "I'm going to ask you again. WHERE ARE THEY?" "I don't know..." Replied Vitani between sobs. "Kovu, leave her alone!" "You dare defy your king?" He said, and turned to face Kiara, extracting his claws from his sister. And she fell. There was a THUD and everyone cringed. At that moment, Simba stepped out of the cave, his third grandchild Kisichana and her grandmother trailing him closely. They were both yawning and stretching. Simba looked at the odd gathering. "What's going on here?" No one answered. The only sounds were Kovu's heavy breathing and Kiara's crying. "Kiara, what's wrong?" She only sobbed. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Vitani's mother stepped up to Simba. She, too, was crying, but not as hard as Kiara, as she could speak. "Vitani is... She is..." She couldn't utter that word. It was too unbearable. Simba knew what it was, however. He had experienced her feelings. He looked over the edge of Pride Rock, and when he turned, his face had an expression no one could put their claw on. "Who did this?" He asked, and when he didn't get an answer, he repeated his question. Chakavu didn't want to rat Kovu out, but now, it seemed it had to be done. "Kovu did it." Nala gasped. "Is this true?" Simba asked Kovu. Kovu sprinted across Pride Rock and down onto the savanna. Kiara started to chase after Kovu, but Simba stood in front of her. "Leave him. He needs some time alone." When they had stood in silence for a while, Simba suggested that they properly say goodbye to Vitani. The lionesses, after agreeing, slowly and mournfully made their way down Pride Rock. When they reached the spot where Vitani had fallen, they stopped. There was no body in sight. No bones, no carcass, no nothing. Nala thought it similar to Simba's "death." The lions stood, puzzled. "Search party. Split into three groups. Nala, stay with the cubs." Once everyone had made their teams, Simba sighed and wished them all good luck. As Kiara nuzzled her mother, Simba thought long and hard about Kovu.
"Good night, Maana. 'Night, Kitwana." "Good night." they replied in unison. Kitwana lay down next to Changa, in case he got away. Maana lay on the other side of him, for the same reason as his best friend. But Maana wished the day wasn't over. He needed more practice. His father wouldn't go down without a fight. He needed to train more. He rose silently from the ground and made his way to someplace he couldn't disturb his friends. When he got a good distance away, he leaped onto everything, making sure to always tear it up. You never know what fight they'll put up, he thought. He trained for hours, but eventually became tired. Squatting to drink, he spotted movement. He growled, to show his authority. There was no
more movement. Maana resumed his drinking, but stayed on alert. He felt a presence behind him and unsheathed his claws. Clawing and jumping at he same time, he headed for the figure, but it was too quick. It jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. It was obviously a lioness, judging by her claws and weight. "Leave." she said. It wasn't Kisasi. "Who are you to tell me to leave my home?" "Your home? Lies get you nowhere. Leave." "Well, I can't go anywhere either way." She got off of him, claws still extended. He turned to go, but quickly attacked her, pinning her to the ground. Her head hit the ground hard, and her eyelids fluttered closed. So that's what it's like to kill, he thought. He walked off, but stopped, guilty. It wasn't her fault. He had invaded her territory, and she protected it. He turned and gulped. Kisasi would kill him if she saw this. He returned to her and dragged her closer to the river. The moonlight shone through the branches here, and he gazed upon her face. It was quite lovely. Her fur wasn't much lighter than his, and her slender body curled around itself gracefully. His wonder was replaced with worry. If Kisasi knew of his feelings for her, she would kill her. It was obvious that Kisasi wanted to be Maana's queen. They had planned on it for quite some time, actually. But after his encounter with this lovely lioness, he didn't want Kisasi as his queen. He splashed some water on her face, trying to wake her up. If she was dead, he'd never forgive himself. Her mouth was open, and some splashed in. She began to cough. Maana sighed with relief and stayed a safe distance from her, claws sheathed. She jumped to her feet, and growled and Maana. "You. I told you to leave." "But I had to help you; you were knocked out, and I thought you might be dead." "Well, I'm not. Goodbye." "Oh, come on." He sauntered closer to her. She backed away. "If you'd leave, we'd all be fine. So leave." "Well, can I have your name?" "No." "No? Well, that's a dumb name. Who names their cub No?" She grunted and Maana could see she was trying to hold back a smile. "Well, in any case, my name's Maana. Son of King Kovu of the Pridelands." "Really? You're a prince?" "Yes. Bye!" "Wait. I'm Mahabusi, daughter of... well, no one special." "What a strange name. Where do you come from?" "It's not important." "No wonder you have strange names. Itsnotimportant is strange for a place." Her amber eyes sparkled with her giggle. "I just did something really bad. So I was exiled. I came here and I'm fine. Even found a friend." "Oh." They sat in silence. "Mahabusi?" Came a muffled voice. It sounded male. "I'll be right back. Er, that is, you can come too." Curiously, Maana followed Mahabusi into a thicker part of the trees. She ran faster and faster and finally stopped, causing Maana to run into her. "Sorry," he whispered. She didn't reply. "Vitani?" called Mahabusi, searching behind every tree. She came to a clearing and there was a lioness, lying down and coughing. "Vitani!" she cried, running up to the lioness. "Mahabusi, I have to go home." "But Vitani, you can't. You're not well!" "But I must. It's been long enough." She struggled to her feet and collapsed. "Can I help?" asked Maana, looking at the familiar lioness. "Hello. Who's this, Mahabusi?" "A lion." "Well, I can see that. Who is he?" "Some prince." She said. "Would his name be Maana?" "Yes... it would." said Maana nervously. Vitani gasped and jumped to her feet. "They've been searching for you for so long! You've got to come back." "I've been preparing to. But there are some... obstacles in life that I must overcome. I'll be back soon." "I must return." said Vitani excitedly and ran off. "Vitani!" shouted Mahabusi, but she was already gone. "So, how does she know you?" "I dunno." "Okay." "How did you meet her?" "I was walking, and I made my way out of the jungle to... well, I don't know where. I saw this lioness asleep under a big rock and there was shouting from on top of it. I was scared that the shouters would kill her, if they hadn't already. So, I picked her up and headed home." They walked back to where they had met. The sun was just appearing over the horizon. "So, this is goodbye." said Maana sadly. Mahabusi nodded. She licked his cheek and ran off. Maana, tired, headed back to his friends. "Hi, partner." said Kisasi, suddenly next to him. "Uh, hi, Kisasi." "And, uh, where exactly were you all night long?" "I was just training over there." He motioned with his head the location of his training. "Uh-huh. And training requires finding a lioness and flirting with her?" "Uh..." Kisasi screamed and ran away. When he reached Kitwana, his friend was nowhere in sight and his brother was still sleeping. "Where were you?" asked Kitwana. He was behind a bush, waking up. "Well, first I was training and then I met this lioness..." "You know what you've done, right? Now Kisasi will kill you and take the rest of her anger out on me." He groaned. "Come on," said Kisasi through clenched teeth, suddenly coming up out of nowhere, "Today is the day." Maana groaned inwardly. It was the day he was supposed to take over the Pridelands, and he had had no sleep that night. Just as well. If he was going to take Pride Rock, he needed to forget Mahabusi. They made their way out of the jungle, and into the Pridelands.
"Kiara? Kiara!" Kiara heard a voice that she hadn't heard in a long time. "Vitani?" she called back, jumping to her feet. She ran out of Pride Rock's cave, and looked at the ground below. Vitani was there, looking up and smiling. She ran to the top of Pride Rock to her best friend. "Vitani, where were you?" "The jungle." Kiara's face was curious. "But I'll explain later. Maana's alive!" Kiara gasped. "Really?" "Yes! He's alive and unharmed! Strong, even!" "Alive. He's alive. You're alive! Kovu! Vitani's alive!" The tired lion slowly came out of the cave. "Vitani? Is it really...?" "Yes, Kovu, it is. It is." The nuzzled each other. "Kovu, Maana's alive." his reaction was amazing, but he stopped. "But Changa?" "I don't know. They weren't together." "Take us there." said Kiara calmly. "But, what if he's not there?" "He will be." Vitani led them to the jungle, running all the way. "Mahabusi!" she yelled suddenly. A young lioness came running. "Vitani. You're back." "Where's Maana?" "I don't know. I think he might be--" There were three loud roars, each in turn. "Let's follow them," said Kiara, "One of them is Maana. I know it. I do." The four lions ran in the direction of the roars. Nothing would stop them.
"Oh, Rafiki. I wish you were still here." Tarajali thought of the mandrill she called Uncle Rafiki. He was gone, but Tarajali could take care of herself. But what she had seen in her gourd had made her jump with fear. Maana was coming back. To kill.
"Maana?" came a shout. He halted immediately. "Mahabusi?" he called back. "Don't move!" she shouted. "Why not?" She came running up to him. Kisasi and Kitwana had stopped and turned. "You!" shouted Kisasi. Mahabusi looked at Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani, who had come up behind her. "Which one?" she asked. She didn't know this lioness. Kisasi leaped into he air, and landed on Mahabusi, knocking the wind out of her. "Kisasi, no!" "Kitwana!" Kisasi yelled commandingly. Kitwana stood in front of Maana, blocking him. "Who are you?" asked Mahabusi, scared. Kisasi didn't answer. She raised her paw, claws outstretched. Maana pushed his friend away and attacked Kisasi, pushing her off of Mahabusi. He nuzzled her, and glared at Kisasi. "Kisasi, I know you want to be my queen, but you'll have to stick with third-in-command. I'll still do everything else we talked about. Just... not that." "Fine. Let's go." she said through clenched teeth. They walked on, forgetting all that had happened a moment ago. Mahabusi, Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani walked from a distance. No one said a word. They traveled through the desert and finally entered the Pridelands. Maana raced ahead to the area in front of Pride Rock, and prepared himself. Everyone stared upon the lion and recognition appeared on their faces. They slowly moved toward him, talking excitedly. He growled and them. "Stay back. It is time for war. The war will be won to avenge Scar's death." The lionesses muttered among themselves. The last thing they wanted was war. "Maana..." said Kovu, "Scar is evil." "That's a lie!" Maana retorted, lunging at his father. The lionesses stared in horror, and began to attack Maana. Kovu was their king. Then Kisasi and Kitwana jumped into the fray, clawing and biting with all their strength. Maana must not fail, thought Kisasi, as she brought down a lioness. Suddenly the fight stopped as Maana roared mightily. He raised his paw over his father's head and brought it down. Kiara jumped on her son, throwing him off of Kovu. They rolled down a hill, faster and faster. Kiara was reminded of how Zira died. Maana couldn't die the same way. They slid faster, until Kiara began to slide off of the cliff the very same way Zira had. "Maana, please! I'm your mother!" Maana scoffed. She had taken the wrong path. She deserved death. "Maana, please!" she repeated. Maana thought hard about the decision he was going to make. If he saved her, he could have her join his side. If he killed her, he wouldn't have to bother. Her claws screeched against the rocks. And he made his choice.
Tarajali gazed upon the two lions that had stayed loyal to Scar this whole time. They were very good in battle, but it had to stop. She had to do something, but Rafiki hadn't been around long enough to teach her how to fight. She could only sit and hope.
"Maana, she lied. Scar was a traitor. A murderer. You have to understand." "But what if he wasn't? You aren't him! Or Simba! You don't know!" "Take my word for it." He ignored her and walked back to Pride Rock. When he reached his destination, he stood at the edge, ready to claim his title as king. The lionesses below were nervous. Kiara couldn't fight him. And Kovu was too weak. Mahabusi stepped up next to her love. "Maana, please try to understand. The lions living here have believed the same things all of their lives. If you take that from them, you are just a tyrant." The words she spoke set a fire inside him. He wasn't a tyrant. He was an average lion. He made mistakes, sure, but he was average. And he was also king of Pride Rock. He stepped away from the edge of the rock and was surprised to notice his brother there. "Changa..." he whispered. A lioness walked up. "You must be Maana. I'm your sister, Visichana. You won't be like Scar. Will you?" "Sister..." He muttered. Suddenly he bowed to Changa. "I give up my kingship to someone worthier. Someone loyal and true. I don't deserve to be king. I'm too gullible. But you... you're the best thing for our kingdom. Have fun." Changa stepped back. "Me... king? But you're oldest. It's really your throne." "Take it. I don't care." Changa saw that he was honest. "But... remember mom's stories? We are one. We can rule together. With our sister, of course." "I'd like that a lot." "What? Are you crazy? He's not king! Remember the stories about Scar? Changa, you're dead!" "No, Kisasi." Maana made sure Kisasi was intimidated. "You lied." "But... what..." "So join us or leave." "Come on, Kitwana." "No." Replied Kitwana. "Our mothers joined them for a reason. We should trust our mothers." Kisasi growled and ran away. Kitwana did hope she returned. They were friends. "So, you're king now, huh? Congratulations."
It wasn't too much longer that Queen Mahabusi had a cub, Maana being the father of course. A new celebration of life took place. With all their friends around including Kitwana, Changa and Visichana, Tarajali held the cub up for all the kingdom to see.
The cub lay in his mother’s arms, seemingly asleep. She looked down upon him and smiled. She was sure that someday he would be a good king. She scanned her kingdom, and around behind her. Finally her eyes met Vitani’s. She was smiling, so Kiara smiled back. She returned her eyes to her cub again. He was his father’s boy of course, but he was a shade or so lighter. As an old mandrill stepped up onto Pride Rock, he smiled upon the boy. Kiara watched as he sprinkled powder onto her cub. Suddenly he sneezed, spraying the powder in all directions. Kiara giggled, and Rafiki chuckled. He grabbed up the cub, suddenly but gently. He walked to the tip of the rock, and raised the little cub. The little boy bared his teeth at the animals below, who were celebrating. The elephants trumpeted their trunks, the monkeys jumped up and down, and the zebras stamped their hooves with happiness.
When the mother had her cub returned to her, and the ceremony was over, Rafiki headed down the rock to a younger mandrill. She belonged to Rafiki’s cousin, Karibu, and as Rafiki had no heirs, he took her as an apprentice to be the king’s next shaman.
“Is that really how you do it, Uncle Rafiki?”
“Yes, Tarajali,” said Rafiki chuckling, “That’s all.”
“Well, if I had known that...”
“Come along, now. Let’s head to the tree.” He led her to his baobab tree, and quickly scaled it. Tarajali, on the other hand, was a different matter.
“How do you do that?” She yelled at Rafiki, trying to do the same. Rafiki sighed, and held out his hand. Tarajali took it, and used her back legs to push herself up.
Rafiki seemed to forget Tarajali’s problem. “Tarajali,” he said, jumping from foot to foot. “As the king's shaman, you must pay close attention to detail. Look away." Tarajali did as her mentor said. There was much shuffling and rustling, and a thunk. Tarajali wondered if Rafiki had left her alone in the tree, but as Rafiki said, "If you have patience you can take out the holes of an anthill." So she waited. Suddenly Rafiki was in her face. "I have taken something away from this scene and added something to it. Find what." Tarajali thought long and hard. "You took away the gourd, there, and added that leaf." Rafiki chuckled. "Yes! Do it again." She turned, and after a long while of silence, Rafiki said, "I'm ready." Tarajali looked up and down for a very long time, but there was nothing. Her eyes landed on a a gourd, but she remembered that being there. She thought longer and harder, but nothing had changed, as far as she could tell. "I give up." Rafiki burst into laughter. "I took away that gourd," He pointed to the one that had caught Tarajali's attention, "And added it!" He began to laugh again. Sometimes Tarajali wondered about that mandrill. "Here now. We have work to do." He said, suddenly serious. He cracked open a gourd, dipped his finger inside, and painted a figure on his tree. It was, quite unmistakably, the cub presented that day. The future king. Tarajali soaked her finger in the paint and made a mark on the cub's forehead. "Maana."
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" said a young voice, running through the cave and tripping over his friends and their mothers. "Oh, Maana, go back to sleep." groaned Kiara. "But mom, you promised. You promised!" Kiara moaned and rose from the rock she was sleeping on. "Good luck..." whispered Kovu, rolling over. "Nope," said his mate, nudging him, "you're coming too." He stretched and followed his mate and cub. They walked out to the tip of Pride Rock and gazed upon the lands below. "See, everything the light touches is our kingdom." "Really? Wow." Said Maana, a bit nervous at the prospect of all this responsibility. "Me too! Me too! Me too! Me too! Me too!" A young, but surprisingly loud voice came from the cave, and a little cub ran out. There were whines and growls from the cave. "Changa!" hissed Kiara. "They're sleeping in there!" "Oh... Sorry... Uhhhh, can I join you?" He asked politely and quietly. "Of course," replied his father. Changa scurried up to his parents and brother. "A ruler's time in charge rises and sets like the sun." Kiara continued, "One day, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you in charge. And Changa second-in-command." They headed down off of Pride Rock to the savannah below. "Everything you see lives together, in a fragile balance. As king," "And second-in-command!" Interjected Changa. "Yes, as king and second-in-command, you need to understand said balance, and respect all the creatures-- from the tiniest inchworm to the towering elephant. Even the grass." "But grass isn't a creature." Maana said, puzzled. "But Maana, the grass is made up of creatures. When we die, our bodies become the grass. It's just the Circle of Life." "Checking in with the morning report, sire," said Zazu, landing on a rock. "Of course. Have at it." replied Kovu, listening carefully. "Let's move on," whispered Kiara to her cubs. As they did, Kiara led them to a deserted, dry part of land across the river. "These are the Outlands. Your father used to live here." "I remember that! And Aunt Vitani, too, right?" Asked Changa rather loudly. "Yes, dear. Here is where--" All of a sudden Kovu ran up. "Hey. You aren't showing them my homeland without me, are you?" "Of course not. I was waiting for you." She smiled sweetly. "Uh-huh. Sure." He sauntered closer to his cubs and began to explain in detail what it was like to live where he did. Kiara, smiling at the cubs' amazement, slunk away. This was really his moment. "You see, your grandfather was kind enough to let me live in the Pridelands, but it took awhile. We needed to form trust. And in the final moments before Zira showed up, he told me that what's left behind can grow better than the generation before. If given the chance..." Suddenly Zazu flew up to Kovu, interrupting his lesson. "Sire, the elephants! They are warring with each other! You must put a stop to it!" "Gather Simba and the most able lionesses. Maana, Changa, head back to Pride Rock." And with that, he hurried away. "I wish dad wasn't so busy all the time." mumbled Maana. "Well, he is king." Maana didn't reply. He only walked in the direction of his home, head down.
"They're alone!" Kitwana said from his hiding spot. "Perfect." Kisasi headed toward the cubs, running her plan through her head again. "I wish dad wasn't so busy all the time." mumbled the older one. "Well, he is king." said the younger cub. The future king didn't reply. He walked in the direction of Pride Rock, head down. "Well, it's more than that." said Kisasi, escaping the shadows. "What do you mean?" asked the older one. "Well, your father was an Outsider. He doesn't care as much for those born in the Pridelands." "That's not true!" Changa shouted. "Yeah," "Ha! You act as though this one is the future king." She motioned to Changa. "Well, fine by me. It's happened before, you know. But the older one dealt with it. He hadn't a choice. Lucky for him, he got his kingdom back. Until someone came to steal his throne." "That really happened?" "Yes. His name was Taka. Better known as Scar." "But... But... Scar was younger." "Well, your grandfather keeps a lot of secrets from you. He took the throne that wasn't his." Kisasi marveled at how easily she could lie to this cub. "Maana, don't listen to her!" "No, no. Tell me the whole story. What really happened?" "Well, if you won't listen to me, than maybe you'll listen to mom!" He ran off, only to bump into Kitwana. "Hello." "Uh... Uh..." Kitwana threw the little cub against a rock, knocking him out. Then he grabbed him up by the scruff of his neck, and took him back to his hiding place. There Kitwana sat and waited anxiously. "...And Mufasa tried to push him off of the ledge to be rid of him forever. But Scar narrowly escaped, accidentally pushing his brother off in the process. He knew his nephew would spread rumors that Scar had done it on purpose, so with a heavy heart, he banished Simba." Suddenly rain began to fall. "Here, let's go in the cave. We'll have protection from the rain there." Very willingly, he followed her into the nearby cave, where she continued her story. "The hyenas threatened to kill poor Scar if he didn't let them in the pride, too. He had no choice. He wasn't the strongest of lions, you know. As the time passed with him as king, a massive drought and a famine lay upon the Pridelands. Suddenly Mufasa's nephew returned, seeking vengeance for his father's death. He had been blaming Scar his whole life. Only then did he have the courage to return. When Scar told him the honest truth, saying the hyenas hunted too much and caused the famine, the hyenas got mad and mauled Scar. Do you know see why we follow him? We know that he was right." "Wow... I had better tell my parents..." "No! You see, they will make you believe what they want you to. Soon, you'll no longer be able to follow the truth. Come on, when you have grown, you can tell them the truth. And when you take your place as king, they will understand. But you can't go now. You have no power against them. We can build it. Come with me to the jungle. It's far enough away that no one can find you and brainwash you. Come on! Let's make a difference!" "But my brother. He told them already. They'll be here in no time." "Uh, my friend... He's really... stubborn. He promised he would help me train you if he got a sidekick." "Well, that's okay. He can help me tell them all the truth!" "That's the positive attitude I'm looking for. Let's go!" And without hesitation, Maana pursued Kisasi into the faraway jungle.
Kovu paced in front of Pride Rock. "Where are they?" He muttered to himself. He'd never been worried like this before. He'd even been calmer in the battle for Pride Rock. "Have they come yet?" asked Kiara, briskly walking down toward her mate. "No sign of them." He replied, still pacing. "I told them to go straight home!" He yelled to no one in particular. Driven by worry, he mumbled to himself. "Come on, Kovu. It's too late for that. Come inside." Reluctantly, he made his way to Pride Rock's cave, not taking his eyes off of the horizon. "They'll be here," said Kiara reassuringly, even though she herself didn't believe it. "They will."
"That bug, there." Maana pounced. "The log. That stick. Into the river." Maana did all of everything that Kisasi told him. It was, after all, to help him train. He was grown now, along with the rest of them. Changa lay at he feet of Kitwana, eagerly waiting for the chance to run off and go home. Even after all this time, there hadn't been one, but there was no reason to give up hope. "Excellent, Maana. Let's relax with a leg of zebra." He nodded and searched through the jungle for a zebra that may have wandered there. "Ah, life is good, isn't it, Kitwana?" He replied with a nod of his head. "Only problem is, the second cub won't do anything." He scratched Changa on the back. Changa wanted to react, but it wouldn't result in much. They'd just attack him, and then where'd he be? Besides, they didn't feed him that well. He was scrawny, even though he was larger in build. "Maana's a good best friend." said Kitwana suddenly. "I don't know what I'd do without him." Kisasi growled at not being mentioned. "And you're a good leader." he added hastily. She relaxed and lay down, contented. They lay in silence until Maana returned with an entire antelope. "Sorry. We were fresh out of zebra." "Eh. Good enough for me." Kisasi tore into the meal, and when she was full, Maana and Kitwana followed suit. The scraps they threw to Changa. It wasn't much of a life for him, but it was a life. Kisasi yelled at Maana to keep practicing. But it was simple. He was strong enough. Strong enough to take down his father.
Kovu was lost. With his sons nowhere in sight, he couldn't take it. He called all the lionesses to Pride Rock to question them. "WHERE ARE MY SONS?" Of course none of them knew, so when they all answered, "I don't know," Kovu would almost tear himself apart. Kiara was in tears. Her Kovu, her other half, her peacemaker, was engulfed in grief and worry. And he expressed it the only way he knew how. When Kovu got to the last lioness, his sister, he was broken, in pieces. Slowly and angrily, he asked, "WHERE... ARE... MY... SONS?" Vitani was crying too. Her brother was actually scaring her. "I don't know. I'm so sorry." Kovu had had enough. He roared in anguish and raised his paw, claws extended. Vitani whimpered. She knew how much strength went into on of Kovu's blows. She closed her eyes, tears flooding down her face. And suddenly, she was skidding across Pride Rock, her cheek smarting. She knew there was blood there too. When she had mostly recovered from the shock, it occurred to her to stop sliding. She dug her claws into the rock and almost slid off. "Vitani!" Screamed her mother, and all the lionesses rushed to the dangling girl. But Kovu would not have it. He pushed the lionesses away and saw how his sister was dangling as helplessly as the late king Mufasa. He quickly, without warning, shoved his claws into Vitani's paws. She screamed, not only from the pain, but from her sorrow. "I'm going to ask you again. WHERE ARE THEY?" "I don't know..." Replied Vitani between sobs. "Kovu, leave her alone!" "You dare defy your king?" He said, and turned to face Kiara, extracting his claws from his sister. And she fell. There was a THUD and everyone cringed. At that moment, Simba stepped out of the cave, his third grandchild Kisichana and her grandmother trailing him closely. They were both yawning and stretching. Simba looked at the odd gathering. "What's going on here?" No one answered. The only sounds were Kovu's heavy breathing and Kiara's crying. "Kiara, what's wrong?" She only sobbed. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Vitani's mother stepped up to Simba. She, too, was crying, but not as hard as Kiara, as she could speak. "Vitani is... She is..." She couldn't utter that word. It was too unbearable. Simba knew what it was, however. He had experienced her feelings. He looked over the edge of Pride Rock, and when he turned, his face had an expression no one could put their claw on. "Who did this?" He asked, and when he didn't get an answer, he repeated his question. Chakavu didn't want to rat Kovu out, but now, it seemed it had to be done. "Kovu did it." Nala gasped. "Is this true?" Simba asked Kovu. Kovu sprinted across Pride Rock and down onto the savanna. Kiara started to chase after Kovu, but Simba stood in front of her. "Leave him. He needs some time alone." When they had stood in silence for a while, Simba suggested that they properly say goodbye to Vitani. The lionesses, after agreeing, slowly and mournfully made their way down Pride Rock. When they reached the spot where Vitani had fallen, they stopped. There was no body in sight. No bones, no carcass, no nothing. Nala thought it similar to Simba's "death." The lions stood, puzzled. "Search party. Split into three groups. Nala, stay with the cubs." Once everyone had made their teams, Simba sighed and wished them all good luck. As Kiara nuzzled her mother, Simba thought long and hard about Kovu.
"Good night, Maana. 'Night, Kitwana." "Good night." they replied in unison. Kitwana lay down next to Changa, in case he got away. Maana lay on the other side of him, for the same reason as his best friend. But Maana wished the day wasn't over. He needed more practice. His father wouldn't go down without a fight. He needed to train more. He rose silently from the ground and made his way to someplace he couldn't disturb his friends. When he got a good distance away, he leaped onto everything, making sure to always tear it up. You never know what fight they'll put up, he thought. He trained for hours, but eventually became tired. Squatting to drink, he spotted movement. He growled, to show his authority. There was no
more movement. Maana resumed his drinking, but stayed on alert. He felt a presence behind him and unsheathed his claws. Clawing and jumping at he same time, he headed for the figure, but it was too quick. It jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. It was obviously a lioness, judging by her claws and weight. "Leave." she said. It wasn't Kisasi. "Who are you to tell me to leave my home?" "Your home? Lies get you nowhere. Leave." "Well, I can't go anywhere either way." She got off of him, claws still extended. He turned to go, but quickly attacked her, pinning her to the ground. Her head hit the ground hard, and her eyelids fluttered closed. So that's what it's like to kill, he thought. He walked off, but stopped, guilty. It wasn't her fault. He had invaded her territory, and she protected it. He turned and gulped. Kisasi would kill him if she saw this. He returned to her and dragged her closer to the river. The moonlight shone through the branches here, and he gazed upon her face. It was quite lovely. Her fur wasn't much lighter than his, and her slender body curled around itself gracefully. His wonder was replaced with worry. If Kisasi knew of his feelings for her, she would kill her. It was obvious that Kisasi wanted to be Maana's queen. They had planned on it for quite some time, actually. But after his encounter with this lovely lioness, he didn't want Kisasi as his queen. He splashed some water on her face, trying to wake her up. If she was dead, he'd never forgive himself. Her mouth was open, and some splashed in. She began to cough. Maana sighed with relief and stayed a safe distance from her, claws sheathed. She jumped to her feet, and growled and Maana. "You. I told you to leave." "But I had to help you; you were knocked out, and I thought you might be dead." "Well, I'm not. Goodbye." "Oh, come on." He sauntered closer to her. She backed away. "If you'd leave, we'd all be fine. So leave." "Well, can I have your name?" "No." "No? Well, that's a dumb name. Who names their cub No?" She grunted and Maana could see she was trying to hold back a smile. "Well, in any case, my name's Maana. Son of King Kovu of the Pridelands." "Really? You're a prince?" "Yes. Bye!" "Wait. I'm Mahabusi, daughter of... well, no one special." "What a strange name. Where do you come from?" "It's not important." "No wonder you have strange names. Itsnotimportant is strange for a place." Her amber eyes sparkled with her giggle. "I just did something really bad. So I was exiled. I came here and I'm fine. Even found a friend." "Oh." They sat in silence. "Mahabusi?" Came a muffled voice. It sounded male. "I'll be right back. Er, that is, you can come too." Curiously, Maana followed Mahabusi into a thicker part of the trees. She ran faster and faster and finally stopped, causing Maana to run into her. "Sorry," he whispered. She didn't reply. "Vitani?" called Mahabusi, searching behind every tree. She came to a clearing and there was a lioness, lying down and coughing. "Vitani!" she cried, running up to the lioness. "Mahabusi, I have to go home." "But Vitani, you can't. You're not well!" "But I must. It's been long enough." She struggled to her feet and collapsed. "Can I help?" asked Maana, looking at the familiar lioness. "Hello. Who's this, Mahabusi?" "A lion." "Well, I can see that. Who is he?" "Some prince." She said. "Would his name be Maana?" "Yes... it would." said Maana nervously. Vitani gasped and jumped to her feet. "They've been searching for you for so long! You've got to come back." "I've been preparing to. But there are some... obstacles in life that I must overcome. I'll be back soon." "I must return." said Vitani excitedly and ran off. "Vitani!" shouted Mahabusi, but she was already gone. "So, how does she know you?" "I dunno." "Okay." "How did you meet her?" "I was walking, and I made my way out of the jungle to... well, I don't know where. I saw this lioness asleep under a big rock and there was shouting from on top of it. I was scared that the shouters would kill her, if they hadn't already. So, I picked her up and headed home." They walked back to where they had met. The sun was just appearing over the horizon. "So, this is goodbye." said Maana sadly. Mahabusi nodded. She licked his cheek and ran off. Maana, tired, headed back to his friends. "Hi, partner." said Kisasi, suddenly next to him. "Uh, hi, Kisasi." "And, uh, where exactly were you all night long?" "I was just training over there." He motioned with his head the location of his training. "Uh-huh. And training requires finding a lioness and flirting with her?" "Uh..." Kisasi screamed and ran away. When he reached Kitwana, his friend was nowhere in sight and his brother was still sleeping. "Where were you?" asked Kitwana. He was behind a bush, waking up. "Well, first I was training and then I met this lioness..." "You know what you've done, right? Now Kisasi will kill you and take the rest of her anger out on me." He groaned. "Come on," said Kisasi through clenched teeth, suddenly coming up out of nowhere, "Today is the day." Maana groaned inwardly. It was the day he was supposed to take over the Pridelands, and he had had no sleep that night. Just as well. If he was going to take Pride Rock, he needed to forget Mahabusi. They made their way out of the jungle, and into the Pridelands.
"Kiara? Kiara!" Kiara heard a voice that she hadn't heard in a long time. "Vitani?" she called back, jumping to her feet. She ran out of Pride Rock's cave, and looked at the ground below. Vitani was there, looking up and smiling. She ran to the top of Pride Rock to her best friend. "Vitani, where were you?" "The jungle." Kiara's face was curious. "But I'll explain later. Maana's alive!" Kiara gasped. "Really?" "Yes! He's alive and unharmed! Strong, even!" "Alive. He's alive. You're alive! Kovu! Vitani's alive!" The tired lion slowly came out of the cave. "Vitani? Is it really...?" "Yes, Kovu, it is. It is." The nuzzled each other. "Kovu, Maana's alive." his reaction was amazing, but he stopped. "But Changa?" "I don't know. They weren't together." "Take us there." said Kiara calmly. "But, what if he's not there?" "He will be." Vitani led them to the jungle, running all the way. "Mahabusi!" she yelled suddenly. A young lioness came running. "Vitani. You're back." "Where's Maana?" "I don't know. I think he might be--" There were three loud roars, each in turn. "Let's follow them," said Kiara, "One of them is Maana. I know it. I do." The four lions ran in the direction of the roars. Nothing would stop them.
"Oh, Rafiki. I wish you were still here." Tarajali thought of the mandrill she called Uncle Rafiki. He was gone, but Tarajali could take care of herself. But what she had seen in her gourd had made her jump with fear. Maana was coming back. To kill.
"Maana?" came a shout. He halted immediately. "Mahabusi?" he called back. "Don't move!" she shouted. "Why not?" She came running up to him. Kisasi and Kitwana had stopped and turned. "You!" shouted Kisasi. Mahabusi looked at Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani, who had come up behind her. "Which one?" she asked. She didn't know this lioness. Kisasi leaped into he air, and landed on Mahabusi, knocking the wind out of her. "Kisasi, no!" "Kitwana!" Kisasi yelled commandingly. Kitwana stood in front of Maana, blocking him. "Who are you?" asked Mahabusi, scared. Kisasi didn't answer. She raised her paw, claws outstretched. Maana pushed his friend away and attacked Kisasi, pushing her off of Mahabusi. He nuzzled her, and glared at Kisasi. "Kisasi, I know you want to be my queen, but you'll have to stick with third-in-command. I'll still do everything else we talked about. Just... not that." "Fine. Let's go." she said through clenched teeth. They walked on, forgetting all that had happened a moment ago. Mahabusi, Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani walked from a distance. No one said a word. They traveled through the desert and finally entered the Pridelands. Maana raced ahead to the area in front of Pride Rock, and prepared himself. Everyone stared upon the lion and recognition appeared on their faces. They slowly moved toward him, talking excitedly. He growled and them. "Stay back. It is time for war. The war will be won to avenge Scar's death." The lionesses muttered among themselves. The last thing they wanted was war. "Maana..." said Kovu, "Scar is evil." "That's a lie!" Maana retorted, lunging at his father. The lionesses stared in horror, and began to attack Maana. Kovu was their king. Then Kisasi and Kitwana jumped into the fray, clawing and biting with all their strength. Maana must not fail, thought Kisasi, as she brought down a lioness. Suddenly the fight stopped as Maana roared mightily. He raised his paw over his father's head and brought it down. Kiara jumped on her son, throwing him off of Kovu. They rolled down a hill, faster and faster. Kiara was reminded of how Zira died. Maana couldn't die the same way. They slid faster, until Kiara began to slide off of the cliff the very same way Zira had. "Maana, please! I'm your mother!" Maana scoffed. She had taken the wrong path. She deserved death. "Maana, please!" she repeated. Maana thought hard about the decision he was going to make. If he saved her, he could have her join his side. If he killed her, he wouldn't have to bother. Her claws screeched against the rocks. And he made his choice.
Tarajali gazed upon the two lions that had stayed loyal to Scar this whole time. They were very good in battle, but it had to stop. She had to do something, but Rafiki hadn't been around long enough to teach her how to fight. She could only sit and hope.
"Maana, she lied. Scar was a traitor. A murderer. You have to understand." "But what if he wasn't? You aren't him! Or Simba! You don't know!" "Take my word for it." He ignored her and walked back to Pride Rock. When he reached his destination, he stood at the edge, ready to claim his title as king. The lionesses below were nervous. Kiara couldn't fight him. And Kovu was too weak. Mahabusi stepped up next to her love. "Maana, please try to understand. The lions living here have believed the same things all of their lives. If you take that from them, you are just a tyrant." The words she spoke set a fire inside him. He wasn't a tyrant. He was an average lion. He made mistakes, sure, but he was average. And he was also king of Pride Rock. He stepped away from the edge of the rock and was surprised to notice his brother there. "Changa..." he whispered. A lioness walked up. "You must be Maana. I'm your sister, Visichana. You won't be like Scar. Will you?" "Sister..." He muttered. Suddenly he bowed to Changa. "I give up my kingship to someone worthier. Someone loyal and true. I don't deserve to be king. I'm too gullible. But you... you're the best thing for our kingdom. Have fun." Changa stepped back. "Me... king? But you're oldest. It's really your throne." "Take it. I don't care." Changa saw that he was honest. "But... remember mom's stories? We are one. We can rule together. With our sister, of course." "I'd like that a lot." "What? Are you crazy? He's not king! Remember the stories about Scar? Changa, you're dead!" "No, Kisasi." Maana made sure Kisasi was intimidated. "You lied." "But... what..." "So join us or leave." "Come on, Kitwana." "No." Replied Kitwana. "Our mothers joined them for a reason. We should trust our mothers." Kisasi growled and ran away. Kitwana did hope she returned. They were friends. "So, you're king now, huh? Congratulations."
It wasn't too much longer that Queen Mahabusi had a cub, Maana being the father of course. A new celebration of life took place. With all their friends around including Kitwana, Changa and Visichana, Tarajali held the cub up for all the kingdom to see.
How do ya like it? I worked on it for quite some time. It's not in paragraph form, or chaptered, but first I want to hear feedback (both good and bad) before I get all fancy like that. Thanks!
