I do not own the Lion King but I do own Kumani (Jahzara), Alake, and Anisa
I couldn't believe what had just happened. My whole family was killed right before my very eyes! I'm not sure how I escaped the flames as it burned all around me but I did. I looked at the burnt land and the ashes of my siblings nearby.
I turned my eyes from the dead and to the horizon. I took off running. I knew there was something more beyond my home lands, now known as the Land of the Dead, and I wanted to know. My eyes burnt as I watched the setting sun but it wasn't the first time I had seen it.
I remember the day I was born and first looked into the setting sun. I was the first born and the only to open their eyes on the day of their birth. My mother said that she thought my destiny was strong so she named me, Kumani meaning destiny. I never understood what she meant but then again maybe I wasn't supposed to.
I finally made it to our neighboring land, the Pridelands. I could see Priderock from the border but I was nervous about crossing. Many of my pride's cubs have been killed when they crossed out of our land. I took a single step over but nothing happened. I was nervous for a few more steps but then I took off running, straight to Priderock.
I knew the king here was one that many of the Wanderers talked about being nice. I hoped he would take me, an orphan but princess by blood, into the safety of his pride. I didn't want to be a Wanderer until starvation finally took me. When I reached Priderock I stopped, took in a deep breath, and roared as loud as I could but it wasn't very loud.
I didn't catch the attention of an adult but I did of two cubs playing nearby. They looked down at me, then at each other, and ran up Priderock. I sat down and waited. I could feel my tail vibrating with fear. Finally, I saw a big male walk down Priderock with the cubs behind him. He walked right up to me and looked straight down at me.
"Why are you here?" he asked sniffing me.
"Please, sir, my family just died in a fire yesterday and I've been running all night," I said and felt my tail pulsate in fear, "I hoped I could join your pride, at least until I'm old enough to be on my own."
He lowered his head and looked at me but I backed up now fully shaking in fear. He threw his head back and roared a laugh that accidentally made me hiss my displeasure.
"Kovu!" a female said in anger and then licked my head, "Stop that you're scarring the poor dear."
Kovu told her what I had just told him and she pulled me close to her. I was confused by the gesture and took it as a threat. I pulled away and ran away from them a bit.
"Which land did you come from?" the female asked.
"I came from far to the east, a full day's journey for me," I said and lowered my head in sorrow, "It was the Grassland, my pride's home, but now it's called the Land of the Dead."
I closed my eyes holding back the tears that tried to escape.
"Come, cub, tell me about yourself," the female said and started walking up Priderock I followed her, "My name is Kiara."
"My name's Kumani, meaning Destiny, and I was the heiress to throne," I said and looked down at the ground as I kept pace with her, "My pride was big and growing but many of our cubs dead when they crossed our borders. I was the only one who survived and, sadly, my siblings died in that great fire too. I am now all alone."
"No, Kumani," she said and I looked up at her, "You're not alone. You are now part of this pride and as such you are family."
"What's family?" I asked and she seemed shocked, "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she said and I sat down, "Family is just another word for pride."
I nodded my understanding and looked into the cave ahead of me. It was mostly empty but I could smell one or two lions still in there.
"Come," she said and I stood to my paws, "I'm going to give you a new Mother."
A new Mother? No one could replace my birth Mother. She led me over to an old female. She nudged her awake and I jumped back as she yawned. My pride was usually so quiet unless we were playing but even then we weren't that loud.
"Sarafina, I've brought you a cub," she said then told her everything that had already been said and I sat down, "I wish for you to be her Mother."
"Kiara, I'm not as young as I used to be," Sarafina said sitting up but she looked down at me sweetly, "but I'll still care for her as if she was my daughter."
She pulled me close but I jumped away again.
"Kumani, that's enough, you're in no harm," she scolded I flinched and she pulled me closer again, "It's only a hug."
This was something my pride didn't do but I understood the scolding. Kiara left and I looked up at Sarafina.
"Kumani, for all you've gone through I'm going to give you a new name," she said and I gulped, "From now on you'll be known as Jahzara. It means blessed princess."
"But I'm not..."
"You were and could be again," she said but I was confused, "Alake is our prince and heir to the throne but the only other female cub is his sister, Anisa... That is until you came along."
I was shocked by the news. To be the ruler of another pride would mean our lands would join but it was too far away to protect.
"Your pride's so different from mine," I said bowing my head in thought.
"How's that, Jahzara?"
"Well..." I started giving her a lot of reasons, "... and we had a coming of age ceremony before our names were changed."
"Coming of age ceremony?"
"Yes, when we are between cubhood and adulthood we would be put through tests of mind, body, and spirit. The king and queen would watch the young lion and, after the test was complete, give them a new name that would last their whole life."
"How do you know of it when it's never happened to you?"
I looked outside of the cave as thoughts of my pride returned.
"I was to be queen and as such I had to watch all the tests that had happened since my birth," I said and looked up at her proudly, "I even named one of them but... then they died along with the rest of my pride."
I looked away and squeezed my eyes tightly shut at the thought of all the dead. A few tears escaped, my ears layed back in anger, and I growled.
"What's wrong?" Sarafina asked pulling me to her again.
"I'm crying," I said trying to stop the tears, "Tears show weakness and I don't want to show weakness."
"Crying only means you have a heart, Jahzara," she said and I looked up at her as tears rolled down my cheeks, "I cried for the lost of my poor Mheetu and at the birth of cubs. Just because you cry doesn't mean you're weak."
What did this lioness know? Since we were new born if we cried we would be hit. We had to become strong to survive. I pulled away from her and walked outside. This pride was so strange to me and I'm not sure I'll ever understand their strangeness.
