Chapter 4: Take Me Away

After what seemed like an endless walk we came up to a massive tree out in the middle of nowhere. Since my revelation on where I was I knew it had to be Rafiki's home since the tree was boasting a massive trunk and some foliage on top. As we approached I truly began to comprehend the sheer size of this tree. As the party stopped I continued my advance until I was within reaching distance. Gently placing my paw on the bark of the trunk a flood of memories came back to me seeing this tree in the movies in my varying stages of life producing a smile as my heart pounded underneath my chest.

"Who goes there?" A raspy old voice called out breaking the silence

"It's Uzuri, Sarafina and Kiara along with the other huntresses."

"Ah my dear friend Uzuri." A mad laugh soon followed as the mandrill appear from the bushy top of the tree flipping down and landing on his two feet followed by his staff. I stood there in awe struck as the fabled shaman of the pride lands was right in front of me. He seemed to live forever.

"Uzuri, I've missed you so much you don't visit as often as you use to." Walking over to the huntress wrapping his arms around her neck and kissing her.

"I know, but we have a problem here." Stating as she returned his embrace.

"I can see that." Looking in my direction passing casual greetings to the rest of the lionesses.

"Rafiki I really need your help. You got to explain..." In an instant his staff fell upon my head with deadly accuracy.

"Damn, what's with you people and hitting the head all the time?"

"Didn't your mother teach you any manners and stop with the swearing."

"Sorry I'm a sailor..." he had his staff pointed at my face posed to strike again. To alleviate any further injury I just sat down and bit my tongue. He then wheeled around and addressed the other lionesses.

"AHHH Kiara Sarafina girls how are you?"

"We were doing well until he showed up and screwed with our hunt now were here not accomplishing anything."

Rafiki sat there pondering looking at the group then looking at me. This went on for a minute until his idea formulated in his head.

"AHH the solution is simple. I will keep this one here so he will no longer be a nuisance to you girls."

They looked at each other weary of the advice.

"Are you sure you want to be left alone with him." Uzuri voicing her opinion never letting her eyes leave me.

He looked back at me as that crazy smile broke across his face.

"No worries this one will do no harm to me."

"Well I don't trust him so I'm staying." Voicing her protest as stood firm next to the mandrill.

"I want to stay too." Kiara approached from behind flanking the mandrill.

"Thank you for the kind gesture Kiara, however your night is way more special go so you can become a huntress." Pulling her face to his wrapping her with his love as she draped her arm around his back nuzzling him.

"Okay promise that you will be safe and if he tries anything get Uzuri, and he will not make it two steps outside of the kingdom."

"You have a good heart, but I will be fine Mano will protect me there is nothing he can do except speed up death." He spoke in twined in there embrace licking him on the face as he kissed hers. She turned and with the rest of the hunting party evaporated into the grass.

"Now what should we do with you?" He looked at me again rubbing his fore finger and his thumb under his chin.

"You are very interesting." He grabbed my muzzle and stared into my eyes like he was reading my soul like a book.

"Great Aiheu." He stumbled back as if he read something that altered life itself in that instant.

"What, what..." I need to know what he knew.

"HAHAHA you are a great lengths away from home aren't yeah boy." Soberly I lowered my head as those feelings of loneliness and never being able to see anyone ever again swept over me in an unforgiving rush of pain.

"Yes I know that already. I'm lost and I just want to go home."

"AHH my boy no need for that it is great that your here. It can prove most fruitful if you allow it too." Wrapping his arm around my neck patting me on the chest.

"Yeah how's that I know no one on top of that I was almost kill by them for hunting and even that I suck at." Tears began to pool up in the corners of my eyes trying my best to fight them back as rush of feelings overwhelmed me. Covering my eyes trying to hide my weakness.

"My boy it takes time I'm pretty sure you didn't come out of your mother walking did you."

"Well no."

"Exactly, you had to crawl before you walked."

"True."

"Hunting will come in time, however the wounds of you lost family and friends will take a greater time trust me if you believe in Aiheu he will get you through. You are an aiheuist aren't you?" He looked at me questioningly.

"I guess I am now." Giving in to the idea of where I was at.

"Good you will go far here, come you must tell me of you adventure here it must be grand." A cheesy grin broke across my face as he led me to a platform which I could pull myself onto the tree to reach the top with minimal climbing.

"So this is how Uzuri got up here."

"I was getting old and even old Rafiki needs help from time to time."

Once we reached the center of the tree I was even more awe struck. As my mouth stood ajar as I looked around at all his paintings and medicine. One painting caught my eye upon further investigation it was the one of Simba after Rafiki whipped it and painted his mane on it. My body was tingling with excitement as I saw that painting.

"Rafiki do you think I could touch it?"

"Go ahead my child you will do no harm."

Placing my paw on it I slid it across the full length of the painting. The dry paint permanently dried into the tree.

"You must have been so excited when you learned that he was alive."

"I was it was really dark times in the kingdom."

"Indeed it was with Taka at the helm. I've read the stories."

"I know you have. You probably more versed on the ancients than most in these lands."

Surveying the area some more I could see paintings of all the kings of the past spread out amongst the limbs stretching upwards. Then one of the paintings caught my eye and drove a knife right through my heart the painting of Kiara and Kovu. Utter pain radiated through my chest as I slumped to the ground. Rafiki noticing this walked over and placed his hands around my mane.

"Things are not always what they seem. Things are always changing your choice is, are you going to change it or are you going to let it change you."

"This doesn't change I have seen it a million times before I know how it's going to play out."

"Maybe however she hasn't neither has anyone else here."

Those words churned in my head vigorously. 'So nothing is set in stone I guess they never would have predicated my arrival here.' Shaking my head at the false notion of what could be or how I could change things.

"Once your done mopping you could entice us with tales of your land, but first what is your name?"

"Well they call me King where I come from."

"We can't run around and call you King it will generate to much confusion."

"Yeah I don't think Simba would particularly care for that." He came over and studied me looking up and down circling me as if he was looking for something or a fault with me.

"AAAHHH I got it... Kiburi."

"Kiburi?! What does that mean?"

"My child you will find out on your own, now Kiburi tell us tales of your land."

"Well what I remember was that I lived on a ship for a long time and we were at sea when I was swept off it. Other than that I don't really remember as I try to recall it becomes fuzzy. I do remember I'm from Texas and I still remember my family and that's it." As other tales I could remember I told mostly about my deployment seen that was still burned into my memory I also spoke of my family very fondly as I missed them.

"So you lived on the water for days on end." Sitting cross legged just riveted about the stories of me on the high seas.

"Yeah there massive but you get tired seeing the same people every day. It feels like every day is just a repeat of the last nothing ever changes same with the view. Water as far as the eye can see and you turn around the same on the other side."

"I would like to see these so called 'ships' that you speak of."

"Yeah but I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Well when I get a better bearing on where I'm at I would be glad to show you a ship."

"Don't worry my child I'm too old to make such a trek anymore and I'm not too fond of humans." At taken back by the statement Rafiki could easily read the expressions on my face.

"Well not you of course, you're the exception." Giving me a warm smile as he stiffly rose to his feet.

"Now what do I do now you know that I have nowhere to go." He stood there for a moment thinking of a solution. Looking out to the horizon something caught his eye stimulating a smile.

"Come here." Waving for me to join him by his side.

"You could stay there." Pointing in the direction of a pile of something that I could barely make out on the horizon.

"Don't worry, they will like you just remember your manners and you'll be fine." He knew my uneasiness as I took in the distance that I would have to travel. He gave me a pat on the rear coxing me to leap to the ground.

Once on the ground I looked back up at the mandrill. "Good luck my boy, you'll need it." With that I plunged into the grass and began my trek towards the place that Rafiki picked out.