Twice in a Lifetime: Chapter 10 – The End
Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or The Lion King.
Authoresses Note: Well it's been a good run. I'd like to take this time to thank all my reviewers. A special thanks goes out to those of you who've been with me since the beginning and took the time to review every or almost every chapter. Thanks a lot guys. It's very much appreciated. I don't know what to say about the future of any TLK stories. If you're curious you can PM me or check back to my profile every now and then to see if I've posted a new one. Just in case you were wondering there will be no sequel to this story. Thanks again, and please enjoy.
The silence in the cave was so thick as all the pride members present looked at me one by one. Some had looks of complete shock on their faces, other were glaring at me with angry eyes. I looked to the royal family to see their reactions. Simba looked almost fearful. Nala was staring at me with anger in her eyes. Kiara looked a little confused. Kovu however was the most shocked out of all of them.
I moved one paw forward and the whole cave seemed to flinch. However instead of attacking I let myself fall into a bow before the royals. I could hear various gasps of shock coming from the others. Voices hissed back and forth with questions.
"Are you seeing this?"
"Is this real?"
"Is he a zombie?"
"Is Scar back from the dead to haunt us?"
Ignoring the questions I rose back to my feet to face them again. Simba took a step forward with an unknown emotion on his face but before he could speak Kilow stepped in front of him and approached me.
She cautiously walked forward. The entire cave seemed to hold its breath. They didn't know what I would do. She slowly walked up and sniffed at my front paws. Feeling brave she stretched her head up to sniff at my mane. I lowered my head and she inspected my face carefully. Finally she looked into my eyes and after a minute grinned.
"It's Kapil!" She squealed happily before launching herself at my chest. She nuzzled me happily. Simba didn't seem as sure as she did.
"Kilow! Get back here now!" He ordered.
She obeyed him half-heartedly and walked around to his side. He stepped forward to me. Like Kilow he inspected me all over. He looked back to where my borrowed body lay and then back to me.
"So. It was you all along uncle?" He asked. He looked a little suspicious.
I nodded. "Yes it was."
"And if I may ask how and why are you here among us?"
I looked at all the curious faces surrounding me and finally back to Simba's interrogating one.
"Alright, it went like this." I said. I launched into the story of how I really got here. I told them of Ahadi and Mufasa, when mentioned they whispered excitedly among themselves. When I got to the part about my original motives I hesitated. But I decided to tell them the truth, to show them how I changed. I told them of how temptation got to me and I was too weak to fight it at first but in the end decided to try and fix what I had done. When I ended I looked up at the others.
They all looked kind of unsure. But I didn't blame them at all. They had every reason to be unsure. Finally Kiara spoke up.
"Look. We all trusted him when he was in the other body I see no reason why we shouldn't trust him like this. Sure he made a few mistakes but he was brave enough to admit them and fix them." She smiled at me when she finished and I smiled back.
Most of them looked convinced. Simba and Nala still looked a little unsure. I could see why though, they were the ones who had been mostly affected by my rule. In fact they were the only ones present who had lived through it.
"Can I talk to him alone?" Kovu stepped forward. I looked up confusedly. I wonder what he wanted to say. Kovu looked to Simba who cocked his head at first but nodded anyways. Kovu led me out of the cave. As soon as we walked out I could hear the voices buzzing again.
"This way, away from them." He muttered. He led me to a secluded spot on Pride Rock.
He looked at me for a moment. "So, this is really you. It was you the whole time." He muttered.
"Yes it was." I replied.
"So were you disappointed to see me?" He asked suddenly. I was taken aback.
"Why would you think that?" I asked.
"Well I was raised to follow in your footprints, you were my adopted dad. Yet here I am referring to Simba as 'dad' and doing far from what I was supposed to do originally. You must think I'm the biggest mistake."
I looked at him. "Kovu let me tell you something. I've made many mistakes in my life but taking you in was not ever one of them. When I look back I thank the Great Kings that you didn't end up making the same mistakes I did. In fact I've never been prouder of you."
He smiled. "Really?"
"Yes. Really." I smiled back.
"I'm glad I got to see you again. I had been told stories by many others about you but it was never how I remembered you. You were always so caring to me when I was a cub. I hated to think of you as the way they described you. You have always been a part of me and since the only part of you I really knew was the good side I hope that that's the part in me." He said.
"It is. You're a good lion and you'll be a great King. I'm so glad I got to watch you through this chapter of your life. Raising a cub can be difficult but always persevere and you'll pull through beautifully."
"Thanks. Kilow is really fond of you. She always talks about you, it makes me a little jealous." He joked.
"She's a good cub. A little hard headed at times but a very good cub." I said.
"That she is. She gets her stubbornness from her mother." He laughed.
"You and Kiara will be great parents and rulers. I wish you both the best of luck." I said fondly.
"Wait, won't you be here?" He asked worried.
I shook my head sadly. "Unfortunately no. I have to go back to receive my judgment." I looked up to the sky.
"But what am I supposed to do when Simba can't help me? What if I need your help?" He asked worriedly.
"Don't worry Kovu. I'm always with you no matter what happens to me. All I ask of you is that you learn from my mistakes. We should be getting back now. I don't have much time left here." I said as I started leading him back to where the others were.
As we approached the cave Simba was sitting at the entrance waiting for us.
"Can you wait for me back in the cave?" He asked Kovu as we approached. Kovu nodded and walked into the cave but smiled as he passed me.
Simba turned to me with an unreadable expression in his face.
"Scar." He said quietly.
"No." I relied. He looked at me confused.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm not Scar anymore. I'm Taka or if you prefer, Kapil."
He nodded in understanding.
"That was a…noble thing you did for me back there." He said finally.
"Thank you but I have to disagree. I was just fixing the error I made before. I wish I could say it was noble but it was the price for my blunder." I said.
"But you could've left it. You could've let the hyenas ambush me without any warning or you could've joined them. When you refused their offer to join them I knew you were trustworthy. We all make mistakes but its how we fix them that show who we truly are." He said wisely.
"I guess if you see it that way then I can't change your mind. But I don't think the ones in charge of my fate will find it too noble." I said sadly.
"You mean Ahadi and my father right?" He asked.
"Yes."
"I wanted to ask. Are they…Are they proud of me?" He asked hopefully.
I looked at him. "They didn't have to say anything for me to know that they were proud. You've done such a good job. Of course they're proud of you. And if you don't mind me saying so I'm proud of you too." I admitted.
"Thank you, uncle." He said.
"I don't think I deserve that. I've put you through too much to have to call me that anymore." I said sadly.
"I'll admit for awhile I was really angry at you. I hated what you had done, but I eventually realized that if I let my hate and anger get to me I could've become you. I also realized that maybe it wasn't your fault either. The hate had smothered you to the point where it was overwhelming. I let go of my grudge and lived my life." He said.
"I'm glad to hear it. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for all I've done. I know it's not much but it's what I have to say." I said truthfully.
He smiled. "If my father could forgive you than so could I."
I smiled back happily. It was that moment when it happened. I didn't know how to describe it but it was just a feeling I had.
"Simba. I think it's time for me to go now." I whispered.
"Now?" He asked.
"Yes, if you don't mind could you bring out the others so I can say bye." I asked.
He nodded and hurried into the cave. I hoped that Ahadi and Mufasa could at least give me a bit of time. The royal couples, Vitani, Rafiki and Kilow walked out. Nala no longer looked suspicious. Kovu must've explained to her. She and Simba gave me a nuzzle to say goodbye. Next Vitani and Kovu stepped forward. Vitani looked a little embarrassed but I made her feel better by telling her I was proud of her. I winked at Kovu and he nodded and smiled. They both nuzzled me as well. Kilow tearfully ran up and rubbed her head against my leg. I leaned down to give her a lick on the head and whispered a small goodbye. I held out my paw to Rafiki but instead of shaking it he gave me a choking hug around the neck. I was a little shocked at first but hugged him back anyways.
Once they had all said their goodbyes I could feel a sort of pull on my body. I looked down at my paws to see that they were slowly becoming more and more transparent. I hadn't realized it before but I had tears rushing down my face. They left wet marks on the rock. With one last smile I said goodbye once more before I disappeared completely.
One moment I was at Pride Rock and the next I was back in the misty place I had started my journey in. I saw the figures of Mufasa and Ahadi forming through the mist. I grimaced as I prepared to be reprimanded but was shocked to see that they were smiling. Mufasa stepped forward and spoke first.
"You had us worried for a second there but you surprised us by pulling through." He quipped happily.
"Yes we were quite impressed. Now we have one issue to sort out with you." Ahadi spoke up.
I laid my ears back in shame. "I'm sorry I ruined my entire chance. Can you just get this over with quickly so I don't have to feel the shame?" I asked.
They both looked shocked. "Ruined? What are you talking about?" Mufasa asked.
"I ruined everything didn't I?" I asked.
"Well it may have looked like that but you turned things around." Ahadi said.
"So I still have some time left then?" I asked hopefully.
"No. Your time at Pride Rock ended." Mufasa said.
"But we still have to report how you preformed." Ahadi finished before I could feel ashamed again.
"We looked everything over and decided that you did quite well." Mufasa said. My ears lifted in happiness. Did that mean what I think it meant?
"We, and the rest of the Great Kings, decided that you will not be damned and can remain with us." Ahadi said.
I was shocked. But hadn't I done so many things that would've ruined me.
"Well say something brother." Mufasa prodded my side playfully.
"I don't really know what to say. I'm ecstatic!" I said happily.
Ahadi chuckled. "But there's more good news."
"More?" I asked.
"Yes. We decided we wanted you to become one of the Great Kings of the Past." He said.
I couldn't believe my ears. Me a Great King? That was all I ever wanted when I was a young lion. It was my dream.
"So what do you say?"
I looked at the two of them. First at Ahadi and then at Mufasa. They had both been great kings during their time. They had earned their titles. They deserved them.
"I am overjoyed that you offered this to me but I have to decline." I said.
They both looked shocked.
"What?" Mufasa asked.
"I am not going to be a Great King. I may have changed in the past little while but I was never a good ruler. I don't deserve such a title when others before me have earned their place. I decline your offer respectfully." I said.
Their shock was replaced with sudden happiness.
"That's it Taka!" Ahadi cried happily.
"What's it?" I asked.
"That was the final test! You just passed!" Mufasa said. He nudged me so hard that I nearly fell over. I was in shock.
"You mean that going to Pride Rock wasn't the test?" I asked.
"No. But it was needed to actually pass. Look at it this way. If we had just offered the position to you out of the blue than you probably would've jumped at the opportunity. But by sending you to Pride Rock we were giving you a way to see things from a different point of view and hopefully change your ways." Ahadi explained.
"So what would've happened if I had decided to take the offer and ended up failing?" I asked.
"Well if you had said yes that would indicate that you learned nothing from your stay and hadn't changed in the least. You would more than likely have been damned. But we had faith in you. In fact we knew you could do it." Mufasa said.
I once again didn't know what to say. I had passed my test and was forgiven from what I had done. A sudden thought it me.
"Can I go see someone?" I asked. "Now that I've passed can I go talk to the others up here?"
They nodded and smiled. "Yes I believe that you have some others wanting to talk to you." Mufasa said.
"Come with me son." Ahadi said. I started to follow but Mufasa stopped me and gave me a brotherly nuzzle.
"I'm glad you're back Taka." He whispered. I smiled and nuzzled him back before following Ahadi.
I followed Ahadi into the mist. I couldn't see anything through the fog except for Ahadi in front of me. He seemed to know where he was going at least.
"So where are we anyways?" I asked as I tried to make out anything in the mist.
"We're in one of the realms of the dead. This is where those who have done well in their lives or who have fixed their ways have been admitted. The other realm is, well, not so pleasant." He said.
I shuddered as I thought of how I nearly ended up there. It was quite frightening to think about. I followed him in silence. Suddenly the mist starting clearing. I could make out green grass beneath my feet. Soon an entire plain was in sight. There was a sparkling waterhole and herds of antelope and zebra grazing. It was beautiful.
"This is where we stay." Ahadi said. I continued to look around speechless. He smiled at my wonder and sat down beside me.
"This is amazing." I whispered.
"Yes it is isn't it?" He agreed. We sat in silence for awhile until a sudden voice broke the quietness.
"Taka!" A female voice called. I turned around as I heard the voice that I had longed to hear for so long.
"Sarafina." I whispered as she ran towards me. Instead of stopping she tackled me to the ground and pinned me beneath her. I looked into her loving face and into the beautiful blue eyes I used to admire.
She nuzzled me face happily. "I'm so proud of you." She purred. I nuzzled her back, purring as well.
"I'm so sorry we never got back together." I whispered.
"We're together now. It's alright." She whispered back. She got her paws off my chest and I got back to my feet. We nuzzled once more before she stepped back. I could see my mother, Uru approaching. Sarafina moved out of the way so she could greet me.
"My son." She said. She approached me and nuzzled my neck. I purred in happiness. I hadn't been able to say goodbye to her when she died.
"I missed you." I told her as she purred. She finally stopped to step back. Mufasa had finally arrived and my family was surrounding me. I was so happy at that moment, tears poured down my face.
"There's something I need to tell you Taka." Sarafina said.
"What's that?" I asked. I hoped it was good news.
"You know how you always wanted an heir of your own? Well I didn't want to tell you this when we were younger or when you were under your cloud just in case anything happened but you're Nala's father." She said. When I didn't say anything out of shock she became worried. "I hope you're not angry." She said.
"I'm not angry. I'm happy you didn't tell me before when I look back. Who knows what could've happened." I said. "I think I always had a feeling anyways."
My father looked at me up and down.
"Son I know we had never been really close but there's something I have to tell you. I've never been more proud of you in my entire life than at this moment." He said. He seemed to be getting a little emotional. Tears started to fill his eyes.
I walked up to him and gave him a nudge on his shoulder with my head. "Thank you dad." I whispered. He put his paws around my shoulder and gave me a lick on the forehead as if I were a cub.
I stepped back once more to look at the four of them. I was suddenly blinded with tears as I realized how they, even though I wasn't myself for a long time, had stood by me the entire time. I was touched and amazed at the same time. It was the greatest thing anyone could ask for. I couldn't have been happier as they crowded around me at that moment and nuzzled and nudged me. I knew that I was safe and at home. And I knew that I would always be happy because with their help I had conquered the hate that consumed me.
The End.
Authoresses Note: Well there's the last chapter. I hope you all had fun reading this story. I know I enjoyed writing it. Thank you to all who've reviewed over the past little while and if you would like please leave me a review to let me know what you thought of the whole thing. Thanks, Belita Girl.