: Finale 4:
Honoring our loss
Simba was resting in the cave he could still feel all the pain in his body and was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't going to make it his whole body was numb he couldn't move was his time coming if so was Kiara ready to step up was Kovu he couldn't really know. Simba felt himself drifting off he could feel the visions coming again what would he discover now he allowed his body to relax as much as he could allowing the visions into his mind only for something to pull him away. What was this who had done that and why Simba found himself in a strange void it was glowing blue he looked all around it and turned to see his father standing in front of him.
"What father what's going why did you bring me here?" Simba asked.
"I brought you here because I had to" Mufasa answered.
"What why?' Simba asked him.
"Simba what are you seeing is very dangerous" Mufasa told him.
"Dangerous how?" Simba questioned, "Simba I pulled you out because I was told to" Mufasa said.
Simba couldn't believe what he was hearing who could possibly have such authority that Mufasa would follow it.
"Who could possibly order you?" Simba said.
"Simba just because I was a great king does not mean I am in control here, I am but one of a legion of kings many that have ascended higher than me" Mufasa told him.
"The great kings themselves fear what I am seeing?" Simba said shocked.
"It threatens our very way of life" Mufasa told him.
"No it's just the past and we can't run from it you taught me that" Simba stated.
"Blast it all Simba I'm trying to save you if you keep going down this path I won't be able to protect you!" Mufasa roared.
Simba was shocked was that really fear in his fathers voice what was going on what were the kings doing? Simba felt himself being pulled away.
"Father what do you mean?!" Simba called out.
"Simba! No not yet I can persuade him, no Simba!" Mufasa shouted.
Simba shot awake what was that was that real it couldn't be what could the great kings possibly fear and if they did that led to another question just what did Mufasa mean when he told Simba he couldn't protect him.
Taka, Nala, Kovu, Kilbali and Kurongu were moving through the barren lands they had been walking for almost two days and Nala and Kurongu's older bodies were beginning to protest. Nala felt like her body was about to collapse but every time she was about to she forced herself to stand ignoring the overwhelming pain in her bones she wouldn't let her weakness control her. Nala was about to collapse again and struggled to keep herself up.
"Nala maybe we should rest" Kovu told her.
"Don't pity me I'm not weak!" Nala said while gritting her teeth in pain.
"He wasn't saying you were but we've been walking for a long time you can't keep pushing yourself" Kilbali said.
"Watch me" Nala seethed while forcing herself to stand again her limbs were trembling.
"What are you trying to prove Nala" Taka asked.
"I don't have anything to prove to you or anyone my family is dead my home ashes and I won't rest until they're avenged!" Nala growled in pain.
"You can't not alone you're not as strong as you used to be" Taka told her.
"I'm every bit as strong as I used to be I've lost nothing I was a warrior then and I'm a warrior now I won't let anything stop me!" Nala roared.
"You don't understand how could you?" Taka told her before turning away.
"All you're going to do is break yourself" Kilbali said told her.
Nala growled while forcing her legs to move she saw everyone else beginning to tire as well.
"You see I'm every bit as strong as any of you we keep moving!" Nala shouted, she continued trying to force herself to move when her legs gave out she tried to force them to stand again but could not.
"Come on get up blast you!" she spat, but it was impossible fine she didn't need to walk to move.
Nala began pulling herself forward the sooner they reached their destination the sooner Nala could lead them she had to get their then she would finally be able to return to being the mighty lioness she once was. She could feel her body giving out it was becoming difficult to breathe Nala pushed it aside she slammed her paw on the hard ground as hard she could she then bit into it a new pain hit her distracting her from the other she then forced herself forward she would not break she was a warrior a mighty lioness because it was literally the only thing she had left, Nala the mother was gone, Nala the mate was gone, Nala the queen, all that was left was Nala the warrior if this failed then Nala was right all along she was completely and utterly worthless.
Uhuru pulled herself along the ground of the oasis it had been days since she set off to find Umoja and still she had found no sign of him was it possible what she saw was merely an illusion she refused to believe that she could feel it in her heart and she wasn't going to turn away now. Uhuru crawled into a cave before allowing herself to collapse she had not eaten anything in days and hadn't had a drink since yesterday she was exhausted it was time to rest she wasn't going to find Umoja if she was dead. Uhuru rested herself against the wall and began cleaning her paw which was bloody from days of walking.
"Where are you?" she asked herself.
"Are you actually alive am I searching for a ghost?" Uhuru said quietly.
"And if you are gone what then? Do I just go on without you find another pride to live in could you go on without me?" Uhuru asked herself.
Uhuru began to wonder other questions if she did find him what if he didn't feel the same what would that mean for them.
"Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself I don't even know if he does love me" Uhuru said.
Uhuru began scraping her claws on the wall what was she doing what did she hope to accomplish.
"This was reckless I threw myself into this without even bothering to consider other possibilities without a direction or plan" she scolded herself.
"Guess I'm still an anarchist but what good can anarchy do me now?" she asked while slicing the wall.
"I'm free" she told herself but then the pain deep in her chest returned that ache in her heart she didn't want to be free.
"What good is freedom if your alone?" she asked herself.
"I don't want my freedom I want Umoja" she finally concluded.
It was true there was nothing Uhuru longed for more than Umoja it was by random chance that they met and they had accomplished so much since which ultimately made her wonder, "we were meant to be" she said, of course this went against her believe of not having a destiny but in this instant Uhuru was actually leaning towards it their meeting was dumb luck yet the Pride Lands wouldn't of survived without it.
"Was it fate, do I even believe fate?" Uhuru asked herself.
"After everything we did what else could it be?" Uhuru said she then placed her paws on her head.
"what am I saying that goes against everything I believe so why would I believe it now?" Uhuru wondered.
She pondered the answer though in truth she knew it she already decided Umoja meant more to her than her belief. Uhuru felt tears falling down her cheeks.
"I would believe it because that would mean we were meant to be together" she said her voice cracking.
"It if we were meant to be that would mean he has to be alive" Uhuru finally concluded it was absurd but it gave her hope she could still feel it he had to be alive and she was going to find him because she didn't care if it went against her belief or not they were meant to be.
Vitani watched the hyena pack from a cave they were eating yet another meal she brought them they seemed to arguing over who would get the first bite apparently this was common among hyenas still Vitani wouldn't tolerate it.
Vitani left the cave approaching them, "what are you bickering about?" she asked.
"Amani wants the first bite but it should be one of the smaller children before the older" a mother hyena said.
Vitani looked at the meal and almost wanted to slap them, "let them both it's huge let the pups eat first the adults can come later" Vitani stated.
"Two hyenas share their meal, they normally take their half and eat separately" a male hyena said.
"Well not anymore now share your meal or I'll just take it and give it to some hyenas more grateful" Vitani said firmly.
The hyenas stopped bickering and agreed to have the pups eat all at the same time. Vitani chuckled they were like squabbling children she remembered when Banzai was like that always fighting with Ed.
Vitani returned to her cave where she saw a hyena pup waiting inside she didn't recognize this one.
"What's wrong?" Vitani asked.
"My mom isn't back yet is she alright?" he said worried.
Vitani sat next to the pup, "you're mother will be fine a hunt can take a while" Vitani told him.
"But I've heard everyone hates us my grandfather heard them say we have no place here" the pup said sadly.
"I'm not going to lie to you the hyenas have a hard time but you have a place here everyone does and not everyone hates you I don't" Vitani told him reassuringly.
The pup smile and gently hugged her paw, "if you're concerned about you're mother I can go find her" Vitani told him.
"No it's alright it's just my dad left and never came back I miss him I don't want to miss my mom" the pup said.
"Hey let me tell you something" Vitani said.
"You don't have to miss them because they're not gone come with me" Vitani told him.
The pup was confused but complied they sat on a hill feeling the wind between them.
"I lost someone I loved too but he never left me" Vitani said while reaching out to the wind.
"What are you doing?" the pup asked.
"I am acknowledging him now you don't have to do this merely close your eyes and feel the elements all around you" Vitani said.
The pup complied he felt the wind the son he could smell the water, "I feel them" he said.
"Now look deep what do you feel around you what does it feel like?" Vitani asked.
"It's so comforting I don't know what it is but it feels comforting" the pup answered.
"That's your dad no doubt telling you he loves you it's around you but more importantly inside you, he lives in you, my lover lives in me, they watch over us, always" Vitani told him.
The pup looked up at her smiling in tears, "we're never alone" he said in tears.
"No" Vitani said while placing her paw on his shoulder.
"Run along now I'll find your mom if she's not back soon" Vitani told him.
"Alright thank you" he told her.
Vitani merely nodded, "never forget what I told you" she told him.
The pup nodded before heading back down to the rest of the pack.
Vitani watched him leave and felt the wind against her again, "it's true I honestly believe that now you and my father showed me and now that child can always know what I know we are never alone" Vitani said.
The wind brushed against her she could feel Kopa could feel him nuzzling her she brushed her head against it and then ran her tongue across it, the wind seemed to become more gentle.
"You felt that didn't you, I know you did because I could've sworn I did I feel alive again I've found something to fight for" Vitani said.
"Then protect it always" Kopa's voice echoed.
Vitani could feel his presence departing but it didn't matter he would never be gone just like Vitani said. Vitani turned her attention back to the pack they had given her something to live for again to fight for and Vitani would she would protect them she would give them a life worth living.
