Ever since I was a young cub, as far back as I can remember, I lived with my father. My father's name is Zini, he is kinda skinny (but I think he wasn't before...) his fur is a light dusty brown and the fur on his belly, toes, and muzzle is like a tan peach. His nose is pink and his mane is black and a bit unruly. His whiskers are straight and he has the saddest forest green eyes I have ever seen. I never really knew my mother, but sometimes I can remember some of her, I think her eyes where a beautiful blend of blue and violet, and I can vaguely remember how when I looked into her eyes they looked sad or frightened or maybe both. I remember being carried and going through a bumpy journey as if the one carrying me was running. Last of all, I remember a sweet voice calling out, "I will always love you Shetanzi!" Every time I look at my reflection in the pond, I think of myself as the motherless cub. Today I vow to somehow find out who she was and why she left me alone...
A Year Later...
The other day my
father and I went into the Savannah to play and practice hunting.
When we got there we heard voices and so we hid behind a large bush
to spy. When we peeked out I saw it was a family of lions. These
where not just any lions, they where the royal family! There was a
big white male with a cool black mane and sparkling green eyes. He
had a scar over his left eye and his belly, toes, and muzzle were
gray. I knew this this was King Kimba. He had three cubs with him.
The oldest cub was, to my surprise, a female! She had brownish fur
and a tuft of gray fur on her head. The color of her eyes where a
kind of red, and from what I heard her name was Kani. She seemed to
be, at the least, a year younger than me. The middle child, also
female, was white like her father. Her toes were not colored and her
tail tuft was a reddish brown. She had a stripe down her back but it
stopped halfway. The strangest thing about her was her eyes! They
were beautiful! The pupil was a clear milky light blue and the iris
was a milky light green. I'm not sure if she was blind but there
was something special about her... so mysterious. Her name was Fina.
Now the youngest was the funniest! It was a golden brown male with
some red fur on his head and tail. He had some HUGE ears for a little
cub! He had a scar over his left eye and his eyes where also green
like his dad's. His name was Teki. But the one that really caught
my attention was the mother. I thought she was the
prettiest lioness in Africa! She was a light brownish color and had a
reddish brown stripe that started at her head and went down her back.
But it was her eyes that caught my gaze, they looked like the eyes of
my mother who is but a distant memory in my mind. She was sitting off
to the side watching her family frolic. She smiled sometimes but
other times she would look as if she thought of something sad. Maybe
her past is as mysterious as mine. I heard Kimba call her Nakaii. I
felt a tap on my shoulder, it was my dad.
"We better go home
now Shetanzi," he said, "we'll try to hunt tomorrow."
I
sighed and followed him.
What dad later told me...
When we returned to our cave I saw that dad
looked nervous.
"Dad what's wrong?" I asked.
"Well I
guess it's about time you knew..."
"Knew what?" I
pestered.
"I saw that when we were hiding in the Savannah you
kept looking at Queen Nakaii, so let me ask you something first, did
you feel anything?"
Before I answered him I thought carefully
and said, "Yes, I felt as though I've met her before, but that
can't be, all our life you and I have lived here in this cave,
Queen Nakaii has lived at Pride Rock... why do you ask dad?"
He
paused for a moment then he told me something that sent my mind
spinning.
"Queen Nakaii is your mother..."
When I heard
that I felt overjoyed, my mother's alive! But I also felt furious,
why am I not with her? Doesn't she love me? Why did she dump me
here in this dinky cave while she lives the life of luxury at Pride
Rock? Ooh... I feel so...
"Shetanzi are you alright?"
"Yea,
fine dad I'm just a little stunned, gee I guess I'm tired now I'm
going to bed, good night…"
"Shetanzi...?"
I ran to my
little hole of a room before he could say something else. The Queen
is my mother? I had so many questions! I wonder... today at the
Savannah, was she thinking about me? I guess I fell asleep because
when I woke up it was light out. During the night I had made up my
mind to journey to Pride Rock and have a talk with my mother. My dad
was gone, probably out hunting, so I told Shazo my hyena friend to
tell dad not to worry, I would be back in a few days. I started my
journey to Pride Rock.
The Pridelands
In about two days I found myself at the foot of Pride Rock. I saw a pink hornbill bird circling the skies and a chubby reddish warthog talking to a female meerkat. While I was resting I saw two baby hornbills follow the pink one. One was green, a male, the other was yellow, a female. There was a small female warthog following the fat one and two young meerkats with the taller female one. One of the two young meerkats was a female and she apparently dyed her fur pink, she was hyperactive and had a radical hairdo. The other was a boy. He dyed his fur blue and looked boring. I finished resting and started my climb up Pride Rock.
At the top...
When I finally got
up there I was faced with four big white legs! I almost fell
backwards from the surprise. King Kimba was probably told that there
was a strange female lioness lurking around Pride Rock and decided to
wait for me.
"What are you doing here?" bellowed
Kimba.
I gathered up my courage and answered back.
"I came to
see my mother!"
"Your mother? Who is your mother?" he asked
confused.
"Queen Nakaii, now please let me talk to
her!"
Bewildered he ran into the den and brought out Nakaii, her
three Stooges followed.
"This cub claims you are her mother
Nakaii, is this true?"
Nakaii studied me and then her face lit
up, but then it grew worried.
"Kimba, Shetanzi is my daughter,
and she is also Zini's."
Kimba was really angry now, he told
Nakaii that she was exiled from Pride Rock. When he trotted back into
the den with his cubs, I told my mom that I was sorry for what I
caused and that she was welcomed to come live with dad and me. We
made our way home.
The Walk Home
While walking home
I decided to ask my mom why she abandoned me.
"I didn't want
to abandon you," she said, "let me start around the
beginning:
When Kimba, your father and I where all cubs, it was
made that Kimba and I where going to be betrothed. I had the feeling
that Zini was jealous of his friend and deep inside he loved me tons.
I loved Kimba all my life and was crushed when weeks after he became
lost in the desert Zasa, his advisor, (ahh the pink bird I saw...)
pronounced him officially dead. Zini was sad but he knew an
opportunity when he saw it. A few days later he brought me flowers
and started to woo me. I admit I fell in love with him, he was cute
in his own little way and he made me get over Kimba's death a
little. We became teenage cubs and everyone decided that Zini would
be the new king and I his queen. Suddenly one day when Zini and I
were sleeping I woke up to a loud growling. I saw Kimba, his hair was
all long and he was really skinny. I was so scared I yelled 'Ghost!
Ghost!' When Kimba was stronger he banished Zini and returned to
his rightful place as King. A year later we had Kani and then Fina
and Teki. I never forgot you and now we are together again."
I
smiled at her and she smiled back. We walked silently the rest of the
way.
Back Home Again...
When we reached
home dad was pacing outside the cave.
"Shetanzi! Where have
you... been?" he noticed my mom and he walked back into the cave
muttering that if we were hungry he had some zebra inside.
"Hmm
seems friendlier, don't you think?" grinned mom.
"Yea, he's
very peachy," I chuckled, "let's go inside and eat."
"Sounds
good!" she laughed. We walked in.
Months Later...
Days with my mom
were fun and I loved being with her, we caught up with a lot of
things. One day Kimba and his crew came to our cave.
"Zini!"
he yelled, "get out here NOW!"
My father got up and went out,
I followed.
"What do you want Kimba?" he asked.
"I want
Nakaii back!" he answered.
"No!"
"Grrr!"
"Come
get her!"
"Fine this means war!" Kimba declared.
"Bring
it on!" answered dad.
Kimba's team, the Pridelanders,
consisted of himself, Kani, Fina, Teki, Ubera, Ubo, Tania, Joy,
Saddy, Zasa, Ying and Yang. Our team, the Outlanders, consisted of
me, my father Zini, Shazo, Basil, Edna, the hyena's parents, and
three stray lionesses. Mom and our home was the prize. Towards the
beginning of the fight mom got knocked unconscious. Slowly the fight
progressed to Pride Rock. Kimba and my dad faced off, I fought Kani.
Fina, Teki, the pigs, and the small animals were being chased by my
three hyenas and the lionesses. The fighting went on for hours, we
were all tired. While I had Kani grabbed by the ear and dad and Kimba
where smacking each other, a bright light flashed before us. When my
eyes opened again I saw a beautiful lioness! She was a peachish color
and had beautiful blue eyes.
"Stop this!" she yelled.
Everyone looked at her.
Kimba stared and said, "Grandmother?"
She
looked at everyone and said, "for those of you who don't know me
I was Queen Nala," she turned to Kimba, "I am very disappointed
with you Kimba, fighting is not the answer. Remember what your mother
and father said, 'We are one!'"
Kimba looked at my
father.
"I'm sorry my friend," he said, "you will be left
alone by me from now on."
"Kimba, I know you love Nakaii, so
you can keep her, all I ask is that my Shetanzi have permission to
visit her."
"That's fine Zini."
Now that was all fine
and dandy for them two but Kani and I had an eternal hate for each
other that can never be cured. I knew this wouldn't be our final
battle. The war isn't over for us yet...
We left Pride Rock and my mother. I had visiting rights and the satisfaction of leaving Kani with a permanent nick in her ear. Dad and I eventually left our cave and found a nicer one. I think my life will start to look up, at least I've found my mother at last.
The End
