Entry 89: "Pridelands"

A restless, gentle nudge was forced along my abdomen. I soon stirred from my slumber and raised my head to find Minshasa sleeping there while she quietly tossed and turned along with her dreams. I wasn't bothered by her adorable display and gently brushed my paw over her back to comfort her. Soon, she finally held still on her side and continued to sleep in peace. I decided to let her sleep a little longer, and I rose to my feet and stretched myself tightly with a soundless yawn. Once I took a step forward, I turned back to find the weary cub pulling from her slumber. Her eyes half-opened, she stared up at me after she broadly yawned. "You want some water?" I asked.

"Please?" she replied wearily.

"Then, hop on."

As I said that, I knelt down until my belly touched the ground. Quickly getting the message, Minshasa staggered towards me and carefully leapt on top of my back. After I was sure she was secure over me, I stood back and walked on while Minshasa rode atop of me.

Soon, I came back to the brilliant pool of water by the giant mountain, and Minshasa and I both drank from it with much haste. As I took more and more of this delicious liquid, I slurped over my lips in satisfaction. I turned to Minshasa and just saw her turning away from me with a faint red shade over her cheeks. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"No, not really," she answered with a forced, suspicious smile.

"Oh, okay," I replied with an accusing grin.

Minshasa bent down her eyes and turned her eyes away from me with a timid smile. "You guys up already?" We both turned around and found the squirrel, Rajua, scampering to us. "Good morning, Rajua," Minshasa greeted.

"Heh. I wish I could say the same thing," Rajua replied nervously. "You guys best not leave the jungle for now. Hyenas were spotted nearby."

"Hyenas? You mean they're here, too?" I gasped.

"They heard that they're spreading everywhere. You must've heard during your journey, right?"

"They're practically the only species Zari doesn't allow to live here," Minshasa added. "So, they must be really mean."

"That's an understatement," Rajua shrugged. "Anyway, watch yourself and don't leave the jungle until it's safe. Though you look pretty strong, Mufasa. Maybe you can help Congo out in patrol."

"You're certainly prepared for anything," I said observantly.

"Hey, despite our carefree lifestyle, we're not unaware of the dangers outside our border."

I nodded in agreement. I turned down to Minshasa and purred to her, "I like to go see if I can help in any way; is that okay with you?"

"Oh, okay. You'll come back and play with me, right?" the cub replied.

"Of course."

"Stay along the border, and you should find Congo."

With that, I quickly set out to find Congo the Gorilla along the border.

I shortly came back to that watering hole I spotted when I first came to this jungle. I peeked over the bushes and found the endless fences of sand dunes out in the distance. Once again, I admired how far I pulled myself since that day. It was almost unbelievable. I went that far… without my family… and without any friends. Despite my will to live for as long as I could, up until now, I was still alone. I found Zari and everyone else here now, but what if I kept going? How much longer would I have to spend searching for a family who may have long forgotten about me?

"Hey, Leo!"

That voice called me from my trail of thought, and I turned to find Congo marching to me over his rock-hard knuckles. I smiled half-heartedly and replied, "I, uh, came to help."

"Please, like I need it. But, do what you want."

"Did you want something? You called me, right?"

"Well, actually…" Congo started to say, casually scratching his rump. "I heard what Zari said to you the other day. So, you thinkin' 'bout stayin'?"

"Oh, well… I'm not quite sure… yet."

"Why? Most already made up their minds once they set sights on this place."

"Did you?"

"'Course. Sure, I had a family. But, the ol' tribe kicked me out, saying crap that I was far too strong for my own good. Those cowards feared me and my raw power."

He sure looked strong once I took a better observation of him. The muscles in his dark arms looked as rough and big around like boulders. His chest appeared to be armored several layers, tight as the drums he played in the band. I don't think I've ever seen a gorilla larger than Congo in stature before.

Congo flexed his right arm and vainly kissed his grand muscles with pride. "But, that's all right. My gift is all I ever need, my only true love. But, it's here that I've ever been treated just like everyone else. You get me?"

"I see. Or rather… I get ya."

"Heh. Finally tryin' to settle into our lingo, eh?"

With that, he nudged the knuckles of his right fist across my muzzle with a deep chuckle. "Nothin' gonna happen today, Leo. How about a little rumble in the jungle? Just you and me?" A challenge to a fight, I deduced. I was certain that I wasn't able to best a gorilla, especially Congo. And I just didn't feel like it. "I'm… gonna have to pass."

"Heh, backing out, huh? Can't say I blame ya; I know I'm pretty intimidatin'."

A voice suddenly called, "Congo, honey, what have we told ya? Quit scaring off our guests."

Congo turned around, and we found both Ray the Meerkat and Maggie the Warthog along with us.

Ray rode over Maggie's back while he grinned mischievously and accusingly at Congo. "Minshasa told us Leo would help you out on patrol. We figured we come by before anything gets too down and dirty." Congo scoffed in reply and turned away from the wily meerkat. Maggie chuckled in a deep and voluptuous tone of voice. "Don't get us wrong. We thought it would be best to let Muffy be totally comfortable living with us before we let you rough him up." I twitched my whiskers and raised an eyebrow at what Maggie just referred to me as. "'Muffy?'"

"Oh, you don't like it, big boy?"

Maggie's personality sure had changed from yesterday. She now spoke with a cool and sly tone of voice, accented with an alluring gleam from her blue coated eyes. Her voice was so calming now, so playful in nature, that it was a bit hard for me to remember that she was a warthog… and easier to see that she was a confident, seductive woman.

I bent down my ears as I was caught off-guard by Maggie's tender voice and struggled to regain my voice. "Oh, well… I mean, it's fine… I guess."

"But, Congo has a point," Ray replied. "You could have anything you want here. Look at me. I ditched my dull and boring colony in search for fun and adventure, in search of something I could never find back home. My big brother didn't like it, but then again, we never saw eye-to-eye."

Ray seemed true to his word. He appeared genuinely brave and tough in his own right, despite his size in comparison to the rest of us. That crimson tie wrapped around his right arm told me that he was the extroverted, adventurous type. Truthfully, it was admirable to see such a small animal act more like a lion than I was.

Learning of Congo and Ray's lives before coming here, it appeared that everyone here had a story to tell, a similar story of them leaving their past behind them and start anew together here in near-perfect harmony. I was starting to believe that… I could as well. Maybe it was for the best when it all came down to it. I couldn't answer right away, but… I could finally consider it without any regrets. Seeing all three of them like this, all so carefree and genuinely happy… I envied it all. I could have this happiness as well… if I decided to stay…

To our surprise, our friendly atmosphere was shattered by a nearby wave of fierce barks in the distance, a faint roar following soon after. That cry sounded like a distress call to my ears. "Great," Congo sighed.

"Sounds like… a lioness," I said.

"Sounds like you boys better get to work," Maggie added.

"Now, come on, babe," Ray replied. "Put those strong tusks of yours to work."

"Honestly, beautiful ladies like me don't belong on the battlefield; you know that."

I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't hesitate in sprinting off towards the source of that cry for help.

I was out in the desert once again. But, I ignored the sun's heat shining over me and the burning sand I ran over. All that mattered was to track down that call. I was amazed that I leapt into this without hesitation. The fact that I volunteered to help Congo was still stuck with me. Of course I did all those things. I promised myself I wouldn't cower in fear again. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be strong and brave. If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't be able to live any longer. I will be tough, I thought endlessly. I will be brave!

Soon enough, not too far from the jungle, I stood over a sandy mound to briefly catch my breath. Then, I peered down the other side and found none other than a lone lioness trying to fend off four hyenas! Rajua was right; hyenas did spread out this far. That lioness down there snarled at her attackers and put up a strong guard. But, I discovered a nasty cut across the wrist of her unstable left paw. She's fighting at a significant handicap, so I proceeded to run down the sand mound and into the battle.

Before they all knew I was coming, I charged into one hyena headfirst and sent him bouncing across the ground. I turned back to the others with a vicious growl. Two of the hyenas left the lioness alone and ran after me ferociously. I leapt to the left to dodge their strike and grabbed one hyena by its shoulders with my fangs. I followed up by tossing him into the other black dog to take them both out. As they both fell to the ground, one tried to rise to his feet, but the fourth hyena was suddenly thrown into him, knocking him out! It appeared the lioness could take at least one hyena even with her limp. Defeated, three hyenas retreated with a pitiful whimper while one of them carried off the other that was still unconscious. Hardly a fight, I thought.

I sighed with exasperation once those hyenas disappeared beyond the sand. "Th, thank you," a voice meekly purred. I turned my attention toward the lioness and quietly gasped under my breath once I took the moment to get a better look at her. Absolutely lovely, I thought. Stunning, actually! She had a sleek, deep cinnamon brown pelt of fur and quite the modest, feminine stature. Her sparkling brown eyes were mesmerizing, sublime as her soft tone of voice. In her grateful and curious state, she looked as if she leapt out from my dreams. I had never seen such a girl in all my life. It was like a mirage. I laid eyes on someone who shouldn't be real to me. But, she was real. She was standing right in front of me.

I cleared my throat and nodded my head to her in reply. "You're welcome."

"I was careless," the lioness said with shame. "This kind of thing usually doesn't happen to me."

She suddenly tried to walk, but she quickly cringed in pain the moment she moved her wounded paw. I quickly came to her side and put one paw over her shoulder to calm her down as she lied still on the ground. "Relax. You're hurt."

"N, no," she protested. "I'm fine."

With that, she tried to lift herself back on her feet again. But, as I thought she would, she collapsed after one step on her limp. She groaned, "Maybe I'm not so fine."

"Hey! Leo!" a voice called.

In nearly perfect timing, Congo, Ray, and Maggie came running to us. As soon as they found me with the girl, Congo quickly asked, "What happened?"

"Hyenas assaulted this girl," I replied. "We're fine now, but she can't walk on this wound."

"Okay, let's take her back to the jungle," Ray suggested.

The lioness shook her head stubbornly. "No, no. I mustn't. I'm too far beyond the borderlands as it is. I have to go home."

"There's no need to act tough now, girl," Maggie said. "We'll help anyway we can."

"We have a medicine man that lives nearby. He could help."

"'We?' You have a pride around here?" I asked.

"Yes, back at Pride Rock."

I barely contained my surprise the moment I heard those words from her. Holding back my sensation, I replied coolly, "Well then… let me take you there if you insist on returning."

"You sure 'bout that?" Congo asked. "You want company?"

"No, I'll take care of it."

"Well, all right. But, come right back, got it?"

"I will. Be sure to tell Minshasa that I'll be a little late, but I'll be back later."

With that settled, I came to the girl's side and crouched down, offering a ride on my back. "Oh," she said, taken aback. "Thank you again." Lifting herself to her feet once more, she briefly limped over my person. Then, I rose up while she hung on over my back. "So, where to?"

"It's just a few feet northeast," she answered. "There's a huge tree there; you'll see it."

"Gotcha," I nodded. "Well, everyone, I'm off."

"Be careful," Maggie replied.

Finally, I set to take the girl back to find this medicine man she spoke of. While I set out, I let my mind wonder in ecstasy. The girl said 'Pride Rock,' the very thing I spent all this time to find. Was it true? Had I finally made it? I'll know for sure once I see this medicine man. If this was truly the land I was searching for, then she could only be talking about one shaman…

As I walked, I noticed that the sand wasn't as hot anymore as it was deep in the depths of the desert. This could be a sign that I was growing closer to new grassy plains. The feelings I felt grew stronger and stronger as I continued on. Everyone was here; I was sure of it. But then again, who was this lioness? I don't remember her at all, and she looked to be the same age as I was. Then, the natural question finally came to mind. "Oh, by the way, may I ask your name?"

The lioness answered, "Sarabi. My name is Sarabi."

I grinned at the delicious irony of all things. Her name was just like I pictured her: a mirage that shouldn't exist in reality. "Nice name," I replied.

"And your name is 'Leo?'"

"Oh no! That's what they all want to call me. My name is Mufasa."

"'Mufasa?' Hmm. That name sounds familiar…"

"Does it? Well, what brought you out so far from your pride anyway?"

Sarabi scowled, "Because of some guy. He's been bugging me lately, and I had to get away where he couldn't follow."

"Hmm. He likes you or something?"

"Maybe a bit too much. He already has a betrothed."

"So, he's a prince."

"More or less. You'll see once you see him."

It sounded like him. It sounded like my brother. He apparently grew to like girls, finally. And the betrothed that Sarabi spoke of… it must be Sarafina. But then, that meant… that they did move on and let Taka take my place. Zari may have been right all along. But, I kept going. I had to see, I kept telling myself. I had to see for myself.

"Look! Do you see it?"

I turned my sight to where Sarabi gestured towards and found a familiar tree: an enormous baobab tree that was quite massive in width. It looked to have more branches than the one back near the Lands of Fire, maybe even taller. The thousands of leaves blanketed over it to bring a vast diameter of shade. And beyond that tree were new plains of grass, like I thought. "It shouldn't keep long at all," Sarabi explained. "He's a great shaman, although he's a little strange."

"Heh. That sounds like him," I smiled.

As soon as we reached the tree, we both scaled up this wooden mountain to find someone in the leaves. "Hello!" Sarabi called. "Can you hear me up there?"

"I can hear you down here," a voice called.

We both looked to find someone emerge from behind the tree. I gasped! It wasn't Rafiki, but it was someone I knew. It was that gray lion from the other day!

I quietly snarled at this stranger and unsheathed my claws. "It's you!" The gray lion took a good look at me and immediately recognized me. "You again? You have a lot of nerve trespassing." Then, he noticed Sarabi atop of me and gasped. "Sarabi! What are you doing with this rogue? Get away from him!"

"No, it's all right," Sarabi replied. "He helped me."

I knelt down and let Sarabi hop off my back to sit down while holding up her wounded paw. The lion approached her and observed her cut carefully. "How did this happen?"

"I was careless. I let a bunch of hyenas get the better of me. Then, this lion came by and helped me chase them away. You two know each other, by the way?"

The lion and I took another look at each other and exchanged unfriendly frowns before turning away. Then, we simultaneously responded, "We met."

"I see. So, is Rafiki here?"

"No, the king requested his services. But, I'm more than capable in taking care of this wound."

"Oh, thank you, Busara."

I exhaled deeply with relief. This was Rafiki's new tree. That proved it. I had finally made it to Pride Rock.

I turned to Sarabi and the lion known as Busara, barely keeping in my excitement. "Say, uh, would it be okay if you take me to see this land of yours?" I asked.

"Get serious," Busara hissed. "I'm not able to have a rogue disturb this land."

"Wait, Busara," Sarabi replied before turning to me. "Why do you ask?"

I explained, "The truth is, I was separated from my pride, and I was told that they headed north. I'd like to see if this is the same pride."

"I see. Busara, let's give him a chance. It's the least I can do for him saving my life."

Busara sighed in defeat, "Okay, fine. You just better not cause any trouble. Wait until I'm done with Sarabi."

"Thank you."

Things were starting to look up for a change. My family was so close, I could sense them in a heartbeat. But, that still raised further questions as to where both Sarabi and Busara came from.

"Wait. Looks like you don't have to wait after all."

Busara pointed up to the sky and directed me towards a lone bird in the skies. It was a blue-feathered hornbill with a golden beak, a familiar friend. "Zazu!" Busara cried. "Down here!" The hornbill circled around in response and soon soared down to the ground. It was him. He grew so much these past years. All his feathers have grown out, and he had mastered flight and flew with grace. He folded his wings over his 'hips' and spoke with a new militant tone of voice. "You require my services?"

"You sure don't sound happy," Sarabi observed.

"Well, you wouldn't be so happy either if you had to service the prince's every whim. Everything down to… to sing a stupid little ditty to him or fetch water for him."

"Believe me, I know how you feel," Sarabi scowled quietly.

"Zazu, you see this lion here?" Busara said. "He saved Sarabi earlier, and she would like it if he was recognized by his majesty."

Zazu scaled me up to judge my appearance before he passed judgment. "He looks clean… but I'm still skeptical. However, in light of your good deed, I shall escort you to his highness."

"Wow," I wondered out-loud. "You were really serious about becoming the next majordomo."

"Wh, what's that!"

I gulped, "Oh, sorry."

"Hmm. Well, follow me."

Zazu hovered up from the ground and set out further north into the grasslands. I proceeded to follow him with a proud smile. Zazu grew stronger, I thought. He's able to fly off on his own without me, just like I wished he would.

At first, I thought I traveled in one giant circle and wound up back in the Lands of Fire, the land I knew and called home. This new land brimmed with an emerald shade below the light blue sky Zazu was soaring through. Herds of antelope leapt down the hills energetically while elephants all gathered around a watering hole, gossiping amongst themselves. It had the same atmosphere as my old home. Many memories came flowing all at once while I observed this place. I saw myself and my brother racing each other down the plains as cubs. I saw the both of us plotting to scare the normally unnerving wildebeests. I saw my brother arguing with Sarafina to no end while Zazu and I watched in exasperation. While I stared out in the empty plain to my left, I saw myself watching Mother and the pride in the middle of their morning hunt. On top of that nearby hill, I found Father educating and preparing me to become the next king after him. And whenever Father wasn't around, Grandpa was there to wrestle with me in the grass. Grandpa, do you see this land? Of course he did; he liberated this land, after all. But, it would have been nice if he would be here to see.

Zazu flew downward to my head level while we continued on through the grasslands. "So, you saved Sarabi, isn't that right?" he asked. "From what?"

"Hyenas," I replied.

"Oh, those smelly, bloodthirsty creatures! They're much too absorbed in their greed. Their assault on the world has swelled up so quickly. We had to leave our old home because of them. It was because of them… that I lost a dear friend."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. If only I hadn't teased him of being frightened, I would've been with him for better or worse. Now, I can never apologize to my Lord Mufasa."

Those words rung loud in my ears, and they were pleasant tones. Zazu missed me, not to mention he was blaming himself for my disappearance. I wanted so badly to tell him the truth. But, I couldn't, at least not yet. I wanted to wait until I saw the others. "I'm sure…" I purred reassuringly, "he doesn't blame you for anything."

"Really?" Zazu started to say until he caught himself before getting too emotional. "Ah, I don't know why I'm telling you about this! I'm not even supposed to remember that!"

Flustered, Zazu flew back to the skies, far from me. I only smiled in reply. He was truly different from when he was a naïve hatchling who would talk to virtually everyone about his feelings and thoughts. I wondered how much everyone had changed. But, there was something that had me wondering. What did Zazu mean by him not supposed to remember the last time we saw each other?

I followed Zazu until we finally reached our destination. We found ourselves right underneath a massive gray stone formation that looked to be as tall as a mountain. While one tall slab of rock ascended tall towards the skies, a second, shorter one protruded from it, resembling a bridge or a promontory like Fire Rock used to have. Quite a few trees and patches of grass flourished around and near this magnificent sight. So, this was the place, I thought. This was where the legends of my grandfather first began, Pride Rock.

Zazu fluttered down over a nearby boulder near this stone castle. "Well, here we are, Pride Rock of the Pridelands. I can see by your crude visage that you're impressed."

"Oh. Well, yes," I nodded.

"Hmm. Oh, by the way, do you have a name?"

"Oh, uh, my name? It's, umm…"

Before I could answer, I spotted two lionesses suddenly sprinting down that convenient walkway at the side of the promontory, laughing with glee as they recklessly came at me! I couldn't react fast enough before they eventually crashed into me, knocking me backwards while I struggled to hold my balance. The two girls also stood their ground after staggering for a moment. Quickly, the short, dark-orange colored lioness scowled at me, "Hey, watch it!" The other lioness, the cream-colored one with a unique white 'mask' over her face, nudged the rude girl. "Now, Lina, we were the ones who were running around carelessly," she spoke politely. "And it's a good thing, too; you would've crushed this poor flower here." She took a step forward towards a pink flower I apparently stood over before and maternally pressed her nose onto it. "I swear, Ashleigh," the one named Lina sighed. Lina and Ashleigh, I thought. I remembered those names. They were some of the female cubs Sarafina were friends with. I remembered that I didn't get to know the other cubs because my brother didn't like girls back then, especially if they were friends with Sarafina.

Ashleigh stood upright and looked toward me with a friendly smile. "We're sorry we ran into you, sir."

"No, it's nothing at all," I replied.

"He's lucky he's cute or I'd really let him have it," I heard Lina hiss to herself.

"Honestly!" Zazu squawked. "What were you doing, running around like children?"

"Like you're one to talk!" Lina growled.

"Now, now," Ashleigh purred. "We were playing a game with the prince."

"Oh, I forgot! He's gonna catch us!"

"Too late, pretty ladies," a new voice called.

We all followed the voice of someone strutting down the 'staircase' of Pride Rock. It was another lion. He was a lion with a darkened crimson pelt of fur and an attractive and growing jet black mane. His stature was significantly smaller in comparison to me; perhaps he favored speed in battle, I thought. And finally, I caught a glance at his bright, green pupils.

Once again, my heart stopped once I laid eyes on a familiar face. It was him, my dearest brother! He had grown so much, I thought. But, I was surprised to find him wrapping his arms over those two girls' shoulders with a confident and sly grin across his face. It was true; he'd finally found an affinity towards girls. Even his speech towards them was different. "Looks like I won, and what a prize," he purred with a coy chuckle. Ashleigh and even the brash Lina giggled whimsically in reply. He was growing into a fine lion, I thought. He truly deserved to be the next king.

"Taka, please!" Zazu sighed. "We have a guest!"

Taka finally noticed me and gave me a condescending glare in return. "What's a vagabond like him doing around here?" he asked Zazu.

"He saved Sarabi earlier, and she insisted on me leading him to our home."

"He saved whom? Sarabi? You can't be serious!"

"Why not?" I wondered.

"She's our best huntress. She doesn't need anyone to rescue her."

"I thought it was hard to believe," Zazu shrugged.

"Well, that's what happened," I replied. "Actually, Sarabi insisted that Zazu lead me here so I could see if this was the pride I'm searching for."

"Well, you must have the wrong people. Neither one of us knows you at all."

"Hey, what's going on?" a voice called.

We all turned around to find Sarabi trotting her way over to us with a green leaf wrapped around her limp.

As soon as Sarabi joined us, Taka's eyes brightened and he sauntered over to her. "Why, my dear Sarabi. You've come back."

"Yes, no thanks to you," she scowled in reply.

"Aw, have you hurt yourself?"

"It's nothing. This lion here helped me fend off some hyenas. Mufasa, have you seen the king yet?"

The moment Taka heard her call me that name, he backed away from her and turned back and forth from me and her several times before he responded. "'Mufasa?' Did you just call him 'Mufasa'?"

"Huh?" Sarabi raised an eyebrow.

"No, that's impossible. My brother's been dead for years."

"But, it is me," I replied defensively. "It's me, Taka."

"Don't say anymore! You poor excuse for an imposter!"

"That's such a horrible memory!" Lina hissed. "How dare you bring that into our lives again!"

"'Horrible memory?'" I gulped with a perplexed stare. "What's that mean?"

"That doesn't matter to you," Ashleigh growled. "Please leave."

"But…!"

Before I could further protest against them, an anguished roar cried out from the faint distance. We all followed that cry out from the far eastern region. That roar was familiar. I could swear that I've heard it before. Taka's ears perked once he recognized that roar. "Lady Zahali!" Zahali, I quietly growled. How could I forget that bitter woman? "That didn't sound good," Ashleigh said.

"It sounds like she's in trouble!" Zazu exclaimed.

Immediately, Taka ran off to follow Zahali's cry to the source. It was obvious that his bond with her hasn't changed at all. Once again, I felt compelled to help. "Hey, wait!" Quickly, I ran off after him, the both of us leaving Pride Rock to find Zahali.

As we ran, I hastened my pace to catch up with the nimble Taka. After he noticed me, he said to me, "Stop following me, rogue! This isn't your problem!"

"Whether you believe me or not, I swore I wouldn't run again!" I replied.

"Hmph. That is something he would say."

We continued on until we gradually entered a new area in the Pridelands. The sky began to turn gray, and light was slowly disappearing. Where were we heading, I wondered?

Ghostly, misshapen tree trunks were abundant in this empty land of shadows. The cold wind blew past their bare limbs. There was no sign of life for several yards. Dirty, pale surfaces were found in place of a naturally green carpet of grass. It was truly a cold, desolate place. What would Zahali be doing in a place like this?

We marched deeper in this shadowy land while we searched for any trace of life. "Zahali hasn't cried for a good while," I murmured.

"Don't underestimate her," Taka replied. "She's still alive."

Taka was still very loyal to Zahali, just like how I remembered. But, that's when something came to my attention again. And I felt compelled to ask. "Say, one of the girls back there said something about 'horrible memories.' And Zazu said something similar to that. What does that mean?"

"What does that have to do with my saving Zahali?" Taka hissed.

"Just curious."

After a little while, Taka finally gave me an answer. "It's something my father enforced… since we lost my brother and Grandfather all those years ago. He declared that we would forget them and keep going with our lives. We shouldn't mourn them, talk about them, or remember them at all." I wasn't quite prepared for that answer. I stopped in my tracks and took a hard gulp. "Why… would you do that?"

"Because those memories are painful. They cause our hearts to ache so much that we refuse to walk on. Father demanded that we would forget all who was lost in our evacuation and never speak of them again. And all who do… shall be exiled from the pride."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was I hearing things? Did I misinterpret what he just said? My fear of them forgetting me was bad enough; the fact that they had to forget me on purpose was what blew my mind. Why on Earth would Father amend such a law?

We heard laughter. There were sounds of footsteps echoing around us. I pulled from my thoughts and stood by Taka as we awaited our 'guests.' "Ah. What a pleasure to finally meet you both… face to face." We followed that effeminate tone of voice to a lone figure emerging from the gray silhouettes. It was a hyena, but it looked so different than all the other hyenas I saw before. It was enormous, almost at the height of a fully-grown lion! It even had a grayish-black mane like one. But, its ashy, spotted pelt still resembled a normal hyena. But, a hyena couldn't possibly look like this! What kind of freak was this figure?

This strange hyena emerged from the shadows, directing a sly chuckle towards us. "What kind of monster is this?" Taka gasped.

"'Monster?' Oh, I'm hurt," the 'hyena' replied coyly. "And after I've come all this way to meet you both. I even brought a present for you both."

Almost on cue, several more hyenas, all of them quite normal, appeared from the thick darkness of the fog and from behind the dead trees. In an instant, both Taka and I were completely surrounded. There looked to be around 40 of them. And just nearby, there was Zahali, lying unconscious while a couple of hyena drones guarded her. "Lady Zahali!" Taka cried.

"Don't fret, young prince," the alpha hyena replied. "Your precious Zahali will be just fine… for the moment."

"You cowards," I hissed.

"How nice to see you both together again. The two Lion Princes are quite… handsome."

"What are you talking about?" Taka replied. "I'm the only prince around here!"

The hyena laughed, "Aw now, Mufasa, doesn't that hurt? Your own brother refuses to accept you? I thought memories were something to be treasured, huh?"

I didn't bother to reply directly to that; that's not what I was concentrated on. "How do you know about me?"

"Oh, I've known about you for a good while, a significant threat to my plans. But, apparently, Kumasi wasn't able to do you in. Said some old lion got in her way."

"So, I was targeted from the start," I deduced. "My death was planned. But, I was just a cub; what threat could I possibly be to you?"

"You think low of yourself. You have great potential. I know just what you are truly capable of, even better than you realize yourself. But, I'm still skeptical. Why don't I see if I'm correct by trying to kill you now?"

The alpha's pack of hyenas crouched down and growled, getting ready to come attack the both of us. I knelt down and bared my fangs as those thoughts quickly echoed through my mind. I had great potential? That's what Grandpa said about me, saying that I was his 'hope.' What did that mean? What was so special about me? Taka came to my side and got ready to fight as well. "Don't exclude me from your lust, Miss…"

"Oh, how rude of me," the peculiar, masculine she-hyena smiled. "My name… is Ru-gal."

Almost on cue from her introduction, the entire circle of hyenas came after us!

This was crazy, fighting with this many hyenas all at once. But, at this point, there was no other choice or any chance of escaping. Besides, I swore that I wouldn't run again. I roared and quickly went on the offensive. I met with one hyena and slapped him away. Then, two more leapt on top of me and bit into my neck. I managed to buck one off and grabbed the other with my fangs to toss him hard into a nearby tree. Several more hyenas surrounded me and threatened me with their bloodthirsty fangs. I couldn't let them get around me to wear me down at all sides, so I charged right through the circle, tackling all that stood in my way. As soon as one hyena stepped in front of me, I leapt over him and sunk my teeth into his neck before I threw him aside. I tried to look for Taka to see if he was alright, but more hyenas came after me and distracted me from searching for him. When a few more hyenas managed to sneak behind me, I took my hind legs and gave them a swift kick to defend. I charged into one with my head first to send him flying; I could even knock them out when we literally butted heads. But, no matter how hard I fought, there appeared to be no end to them. Several hyenas leapt over me, biting and slashing over my body. I relentlessly spun around to shake them off, but more just took their place. Pain was sharp, and each inflicted wound began to weigh down another, gradually wearing me down. I roared out and summoned enough adrenaline to fling them all way, slap them aside, and run out from that dog pile to quickly recuperate.

The scars all over my body had blood rushing from them. I panted wearily to myself. I could still fight, I thought. As I stood my ground, Taka staggered up to me, catching his breath while the hyenas continued to stand around us. I observed his own wounds, but he looked well enough to keep fighting. "Fighting… is so dirty," Taka replied coyly.

"D, don't tell me you're giving up," I grinned in reply.

"Please."

With that, we both leapt back into the pack of hyenas and fought back as hard as we could. I was sure that reinforcements for Taka would come eventually. Suddenly, as I swiped one hyena after another, I heard Taka cry out. "ARGH!" I peered behind my shoulder to see what was wrong. I gasped once I found Taka standing next to the bewildered Zahali, roaring in pain as he held a bloody wound across his left eye! "Taka!" I cried.

Suddenly, Ru-gal barked out, "Leave that one! Kill the older one! Kill Mufasa!"

Before I knew it, the hyenas that were fighting Taka left him and Zahali alone and approached only me.

This wasn't good. There was no way I could take this many hyenas on my own. And they all had the prime motive to kill me. After I had taken step back, they all immediately assaulted me! I swiped a few away, but there were far too many attacking me at once. They all grabbed me, scratched me, bit me, and did all they could to drag me down to my bloodcurdling demise. The weight was too much; I could barely walk. I couldn't even cry out as I felt dizzy from immense blood loss. The pain was too overwhelming, and I gradually sunk into the abyss of hyenas. I had lost sight of where I was. I took one more step and felt myself falling. There was a hill there, and I had lost my balance and rolled down that hill. As I did, the hyenas were either bucked off, lost their grip, or crushed underneath my weight. I rolled down that hill for quite a while, but all the hyenas were thrown off of me. Finally, I made it to the bottom and bounced over the hard surface a couple of times, lying still on the ground to rest.

I panted weakly and winced in throbbing pain. My wounds were still stunning my bodily functions. Blood continued to run from my body as I lied still. I couldn't feel any strength to move anymore. Was I going to die, I thought? Was the white lioness right all this time? I heard the hyenas cackling sadistically as they slowly marched down the hill to finish me. I stared up and watched death coming towards me. Then, one hyena stood out for a brief moment. This familiar hyena had those piercing black orbs and that thick claw mark over her damaged larynx. That was her, I thought! It was Kumasi, that hyena how fought my grandfather! She was still alive. She still lived… while Grandpa died. Before I realized it myself, all my strength began to return to me. I felt strong enough to stand back on my feet as blood raced down my face like tears. It wasn't right, I thought. Grandpa died… to save me. And that hyena… the one he fought… still lived. It wasn't right. I wasn't fair! She had no right to live while Grandfather died! It's not right!

The hyenas were closing in. I focused onto Kumasi and only her. Rage was boiling from inside me. Unbridled anger had my body anxiously shaking. She would pay for taking Grandpa away from me, I thought. She would die, I swore it! Before the hyenas came any closer, I roared once again. But, this particular roar was so loud; I could swear that it echoed across the land a hundred times. Then, I speedily ran through the crowd of hyenas and came directly at my Grandfather's killer. With extended claws and bored fangs, I fell over Kumasi and bit hard into her neck! A stream of blood shot out from the hyena's neck as I dragged her to the ground. In one strike, I had killed her. For the first time in a fight, I killed someone.

The hyenas stopped in their tracks and stared after me with shock. I released Kumasi's tainted pelt and growled after them, my fangs stained and dripping with dirty blood. I turned towards the rest of the frightened pack. In the midst of my rage, every single one of those dogs turned tail and ran. It took a moment for me to register what was happening in my mind. They were afraid of me. I managed to scare them away. My senses were returning, and my fatigue caught up to me. My legs violently wobbled as I sat down to watch those hyenas run back up that hill in fright. I looked back down to the hyena I had slain and noticed something peculiar. It was another, random hyena. It didn't resemble Kumasi in the slightest. I scowled weakly and purred, "A hallucination." Then, I slowly formed a malicious smile and chuckled cynically. Everything that had happened today replayed in my mind. "I guess you were right, Zari," I laughed pitiably. "Maybe… I was… better off…" Finally, I groaned and fell to the ground, losing consciousness…