Entry 214: "Signs of the Last Battle" (Part 1)

    As Father hovered in the great blue skies, giving warmth to the lands from above, I sat near Rafiki's baobab tree patiently. Before I went to sleep last night, Busara and I brought Dziva and Zira to Rafiki to care for their wounds. As I waited, I saw Zazu flutter down to me. I was expecting him. "There you are, Zazu," I purred in greeting.

        "I came as fast as I could when Queen Sarabi told me that you requested me," the hornbill replied, perching on my shoulder. "What can I do for you?"

        "I ask of you to do something for me; it's very important, and I know you can carry it out faster than I can. I want you to make a big announcement over the Pridelands that the Lion King requests a conference with all the animals of the Pridelands, every single one of them."

        "Every single one of them?" Zazu gasped.

        "I'm sorry I ask so much of you."

        "No, no, it's not that, sire. I just wonder why you want a conference with all the animals of the Pridelands all of a sudden."

        "You will find out in due time, my friend."

        "Well, it will take a bit of time, but I'll get it done. When do you want them to meet?"

        "Immediately."

        "At once, sire!"

With that, Zazu quickly leapt from my shoulder and flew to the skies to carry out my order. After he left, Rafiki leapt from his tree and landed in front of me. "This is your first time to have a conference with all the animals," he pointed out.

        "I know that. But, Vumi's terror must end once and for all. Will I expect you to attend?"

        "I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied coyly.

        I chuckled, "So, how are the girls?"

        "Why not ask them yourself?"

I looked behind Rafiki to see the twins walking over to us. I walked right past him and went to them with a relieved smile. There were the usual leaf patches over Zira's wounds. However, because she sustained a great amount of damage and lost a lot of blood, her patches looked a lot tighter than the patches I used to get. As for Dziva, she had less patches because she didn't have as much wounds as her sister did. But, I noticed that she was now wearing an ancient rock necklace around her neck. "Dziva, Zira, are you two doing better?" I asked.

        "I have to admit, the monkey can work miracles," Zira shrugged.

Dziva silently nodded in agreement. "What's that over your neck?" I asked her.

        Rafiki replied for her, "It's an enchanted necklace designed to seal abnormalities in the wearer's body. My brother, the medicine man before me, passed it down to me, but I never used it. Hopefully, it will work for Dziva and her…condition."

        "I see."

Dziva bowed down her head shamefully before me. I took my right paw and softly put it over her shoulder. I purred, "I'm just glad you're okay now."

        "Why do you still treat me like that? I told you…I couldn't be trusted," she purred back with guilt.

        "Yes, you did," I acknowledged. "That other side of you…is a part of you. But, I still believe that you're a good person just tangled in Vumi's twisted web."

I pulled my paw away from Dziva's shoulder and reached under her chin to pull her head up at eye level. As she beamed at me with those deep brown eyes, I smiled at her. "I can just see the goodness in you when I look in your eyes. I couldn't see anyone's true goodness before, but…now I do. You mean so well; you wouldn't insist to stay away from me for my sake if it weren't true. I see a gentle soul and a fierce and spirited warrior before me; I see…a friend."

        "We're…friends?" Dziva repeated softly in awe.

I nodded. I spoke the truth; I meant every word. But, it's amazing that I can see someone through their eyes. This was how Sarabi saw into me before. She wasn't the only one who can see so well, after all. Dziva stared at me with questions in her eyes. Finally, she shut her eyes and smiled the widest grin I ever saw over her. She walked into my mane and nestled her head under my chin affectionately. "You are really something else," I heard her gently say.

        "Aw, isn't friendship beautiful?" Rafiki teased.

        "Funny. I see a hell of a lot more than that," Zira grinned.

Dziva suddenly chuckled to herself and turned toward Zira, playing coy. "Was that jealousy in your voice?" she smiled. Instantly, Zira scoffed and looked away. I chuckled, "See? There's that spirit now."

        "Yeah, she's definitely acting like her old self," Zira murmured.

        "Hmph! You haven't changed much either," Dziva scoffed. "You're still that 'twig' since the last time I saw you."

I was amused by Dziva's little nickname for Zira. It honestly fitted her well because Zira was small and lank in stature in comparison to Dziva. And Zira apparently did not like being called that. "Stop calling me a 'twig!'" she snarled.

        "Well, I thought you would put some meat on those bones by now. I guess I was wrong. You can never defeat me with tactics alone."

        Zira rolled her eyes and scowled, "Whatever."

        "Now then, Zira needs to stay a bit longer with Rafiki. But, I'm ready to go back to Pride Rock if you are, Mufasa."

        "Very well," I nodded. "I'll see you both soon then."

Rafiki nodded in reply. With that, Dziva and I walked off together, making our way back to the kingdom.

    Dziva and I marched across the great Pridelands that spread for several miles. As we walked, I saw Zazu soar by across the skies. He was making the announcement. "Attention! Attention, citizens of the Pridelands! King Mufasa proclaims a big conference at Pride Rock! Report immediately! I repeat, report immediately!" He continued that message until his voice disappeared like he disappeared from my sight. I couldn't help but be excited. I wondered if everyone would even come to this conference. I honestly hoped they will.

    Several minutes went by before Dziva and I made it back to Pride Rock. Like a gentlemen, I let Dziva climb up to the promontory before I did. There, Busara was resting against the right of side of the den entrance. He opened his eyes and looked up to see me. "Oh, you're back," he said. "And you too, Dziva. Are you feeling better?"

        "Oh, I'm…fine," Dziva replied. "But…after all I did last night…"

        "Don't worry about it. Knowing Rafiki, he probably did something about that."

The lion rose up to his feet and gave Dziva a warm grin. "Besides, if Mufasa can trust you, so can I."

        "Oh, Busara…"

        "See, even Busara considers you a friend. And he's someone who tends to repel than attract."

        "What was that?" Busara scowled.

        "Nothing. So, did Sarafina drag you up here again?"

        "Not at all. I came to your assembly on my own decision, if you must know."

        "Is that right? Thank you."

        "So, tell me. What is this assembly about?"

        "You'll know soon enough. But, whatever the outcome, Vumi's threat will soon come to an end."

        "Sire!"

It was Zazu. After he called me, I watched fly down on the promontory floor in front of me, panting wearily. "I…I completed my task," he reported with exhaustion.

        "Thank you, Zazu. You look tired. Rest here for a while," I replied.

        "Yes, sire."

Without question, Zazu walked to the left side of the den's opening and nestled down comfortably there. "So we wait," Busara said.

        "Yes. We wait," I nodded.

I went to the tip of the promontory and lied down to look out toward the horizon. Zazu's task was completed. Now, I must wait until everyone comes…if they're coming.

    Minutes past quickly, but it seemed that it took forever. Everyone in the pride was behind me, either sitting together and lying around next to the promontory. Sarabi lied down next to me while we waited and waited. A few of us think that they probably wouldn't come. But, I told them to have a bit of faith. If they came to my presentation years ago, they should come for an assembly. I accept the fact that the other animals have lives of their own; they didn't even have to come to my presentation. But, that's my point. They didn't come to the presentation because of our authority over them. They came on their own accord out of pure respect and caring. We all don't have to be friends. We even hunt down some of those animals out there. But, every one of us never took each other for granted. Some of us even came to see the birth of a new generation of animals as well. It didn't matter whether we're lions, antelope, rhinos, or any other animal. We were part of the great Circle of Life.

        "What's that?"

    Sarabi spotted something coming our way. I looked out toward the horizon to see something coming our way. Sadly, it was just two figures, and I recognized them once I got a good look. "It's Rafiki and Zira," I purred. Growing tired of waiting, I yawned and brought crocodile tears to my eyes. Then, all of a sudden, as I wiped my eyes with my right arm, my ears twitched the moment I heard the trumpeting of an elephant! I looked back up and saw something following Rafiki and Zira. In the translucent cloud of dust and sand, elephants were marching after them! Thrilled, I rose up to my feet and exclaimed, "The elephants!" Sarabi stood up with a relieved smile. "Look! There's more!" As the pride and I looked on, many other species of animal were heading this way. There were zebras, antelope, gazelles, rhinos, giraffes, gnus, wildebeests, buffalo, cheetahs, birds, monkeys, and even Shenzi and the hyenas. I couldn't be more ecstatic than I was now. There were so many animals; there must be well over 200 of them. Either way, I was so happy that they came. I smiled to Sarabi, "They actually came."

        "I know. Now, I'm starting to get a bit nervous," she replied.

        "Just remember what this assembly's all about."

She nodded and looked back toward the incoming crowd. I couldn't help but admit I was a bit nervous as well. This was my first time doing something like this since I became king, after all. But, after taking one giant breath, I wore my most serious visage and sat down with my body straight with dignity. Soon, the animals were gathered around Pride Rock. While Rafiki and Zira came to join the rest of the pride, everyone tried to get situated as quickly as they could and formed a large semi-circle before me. Naturally, the smaller animals, like the monkeys, were in the front and most of the larger ones were in the back, either the giraffes or the elephants. This was it. This was the assembly I requested. It was going to be a debate of opinions once I tell them what my proposal is. But, I believed I was ready for it. I had to be. It was a new challenge I had to overcome. So be it.

    The assembly has begun. "Fellow citizens of the Pridelands!" I announced, my voice echoing over them. "I thank you all for attending this assembly! Now then, I ask for your ears and listen to what I'm about to tell you! I'm sure that everyone is aware of the threat of the lion named Vumi! He plans to continue what he tried to do years ago when King Mohatu ruled this land! He plans to destroy this land and kill us all in his magical flames, claiming it to be 'purification!' This time, he and his pride of Shadowlanders has seven other supernatural allies that will stop at nothing to do what he sets out to do!"

        "Seven of them?" an antelope gasped.

        "I had no idea there were others like Vumi out there!" a buffalo replied, equally surprised.

        Then, an elephant said, "We ought to know. One of those 'Diviners' is one of our own!"

        "Likewise!" a cheetah exclaimed. "That Oya! I can't believe he would turn against us like this!"

        "If there are that many freaks against us, we don't have a chance at all," a giraffe murmured in worry.

Every animal before me went off into conversation amongst each other. I knew they would react this way. But, I had to keep them under control. "Silence! Quiet, please!" I called out. Quickly, everyone became silent. As they stared at me, I saw numerous emotions already in their eyes. I saw fear, anger, anxiety, depression, and betrayal. As I watched, Sarabi continued on for me. "This is an emergency of the most serious nature! Not only are we in danger, every single one of you are as well! If Vumi has his way, we will not survive! They want to 'purify' us because they believe life now is nothing more than Hell itself! But, I strongly believe that he is wrong! The pride and I will fight for our very lives Vumi threatens to take away! And we want all of you to join us in the fight!" That was my proposal. And it caught everyone by surprise by their obvious expressions, as I knew it would. I spoke once more. "Your voices deserve to be heard! We all must show Vumi that life is fine the way it is! If we all could band together, we shall not fail! But, it's ultimately your decision. You all can stand and fight or evacuate the land until the danger has past." The animals quietly talked amongst themselves about the issue. I patiently watched and waited until everyone came to a decision. But, one group was quick to answer, and that was the hyenas. "Well, we already made up our mind," Shenzi said. "We hyenas are gonna stay and fight!"

        "The cheetahs are staying, too!" the leader of the cheetahs exclaimed. "We will never run and hide, especially from a traitor!"

        "I happen to like the life I live now, and I won't let Vumi take that away from me!" a zebra added.

        "Are you sure, brother?" another zebra said. "Foolishness will get you killed."

        "Are you a coward?"

        "Why should we risk our lives when we can easily run away?" a monkey murmured.

        "Then, go ahead and run," a buffalo snorted at him, scaring him. "You'll just die anyway if Vumi manages to succeed. He plans to 'purify' the whole continent, remember?"

        "That's why we have no choice but to fight," a wildebeest sighed. "There's no way around it."

        "What's the point in fighting them?" a female gazelle cried out. "They have special powers, and we don't! There's no way we can hope to win! Don't you get it? We're all gonna die, no matter what we do!"

        "Don't say that!" a bird said while perching over a giraffe's head. "Don't you want to fight for the life Vumi wants to destroy?"

        "He doesn't really want to destroy," a rhino said. "He said we would be reborn anew. Maybe life would be better after we're reborn."

        "How would you know?" another rhino argued. "There's no guarantee that we would be 'purified' like Vumi said!"

        "Even if it is true, I don't want to lose what I have now!" the same zebra from before said.

        "If you're all so scared, we can fight alongside Mufasa ourselves!" Shenzi snarled. "We don't need you cowards pulling our weight!"

        "Go ahead and die then, you idiots!" a gnu sneered. "Die knowing you fought for your lives with honor!"

That was enough. "Stop that! That's enough arguing!" I roared. Everyone gradually stopped fighting each other and looked back to me. New emotions were in their faces. I saw bitterness, eagerness, and hopelessness. But, I still saw fear most of all. It was about time that they learn about my opinion. "I am aware that we against God's very powers themselves. And personally…I don't care. Just because they have these' blessings' doesn't mean they are any different from the rest of us. We are all animals in the great Circle of Life. If you consider them different, we can never be one. I believe that we can win. But, if you wish to run, I can't stop you. There's no cowardice in making your own decisions." All the animals who were considering running away stared incredulously at me while the ones who supported me smiled and nodded in agreement. The female gazelle from before said, "You…really believe you can beat him?"

        "Yes, I do," I replied. "That doesn't mean that I'm not afraid. But, if I run away, it's like I'm giving up on my own life to me. I don't want to give up because I've learn to appreciate life, no matter how bad it was. If everything in life was always colorful, I would never know that the best part of life is that I'm alive."

        "Can we really do it?" the gnu leader wondered. "Can we really defeat the Diviners?"

        "I strongly believe we can if we work together," Sarabi nodded.

The gnu leader continued staring in awe at the both of us. Then, he looked toward the other gnus who gave him a determined nod. He turned back to us and grinned, "Then, let's do it!"

        "Now, that's more like it!" Shenzi exclaimed.

        "We will fight for the lives Brekyirihunuade gave up on!" the elephant leader trumpeted along with the other pachyderms.

Dramatically, every single animal agreed to join us 100%. I smiled with pride to see the enthusiasm and hopefulness over everyone's faces. "Yes! We will fight to show Vumi that our lives are fine the way they are and make the Pridelands safe for all who dwell here now and forever once more! To succeed, we must work together and fight with order, duty, and discipline! So, we all must follow the battle tactics we will make with the leaders of each group of animals before me without question! With all that considered, are you all prepared to follow your king and queen now…on to victory?" In answer, I heard every animal cry imaginable. Elephants trumpeted, monkeys screeched, and zebras neighed. Finally, Sarabi exclaimed, "Then, let us fight with good fortune shining over us!"

        Several cries were heard among the crowd. "Lead on! We're yours, King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi! We will never run away! For the lives we live in the Pridelands!"

The cheers were loud and full of hope. Soon, the pride joined them. Everyone simultaneously cried our little slogan. "FOR THE LIVES WE LIVE IN THE PRIDELANDS!!" Finally, the pride roared along with the rest of the shouting animals. The assembly was a success. We will all fight together against Vumi…and win! We will never lose…because we are one…

****

    Behind Pride Rock, I was having a council with the other animal clan leaders. We were going over our battle plan. And I provided a visual aid by drawing in the sand below us. I drew a small circle with a single claw and explained, "Now, this is the sand dune where Vumi resides. Sarabi is currently training the pride once last time before separating them into a main battalion and a reserve battalion. The main battalion will be right here." I drew a curved line close to the circle. "But, the enemy has just as much room to fight as you do. Is there any way that we can disable them somehow?" the buffalo leader suggested.

        I nodded, "That's where the rest of you come in. The elephant leader and the zebra leader will lead two groups to quickly form one big circle. The elephant leader will lead a line to the left…"

I drew a large curved line on the left of the circle. Then, I drew another from the right side so that both lines form one big circle. "…And the zebra leader will lead another line to the right. When you both meet, you will form a big circle. Afterwards, I want you all to tighten that circle so there will be no gaps."

        "I get it," the monkey leader nodded. "The tighter the circle, the limited space they'll have to fight."

        "And since we'll be on the offensive, the circle doesn't hurt us too much," I added. "We'll have the Shadowlanders and the Diviners trapped in a space far too small to defend, and the advantage is ours."

        "Wait. What about Brekyirihunuade?" the elephant leader said. "He can easily break through our circle."

        "You're right," I replied. "So, I suggest that you recruit one of your strongest elephants to confront him and keep him at bay. But, if somehow they manage to escape from the circle…"

Finally, I drew one more curved line outside the big circle. "…My reserve battalion and some of your own will assault them instantly. That will be our battle plan, so explain it to your followers and give out instructions at once. We're going to head out once the great sun reaches the top of the sky."

        Shenzi chuckled, "Well, what do you know? 'Operation: Circle of Life.'"

I laughed along with the other leaders heartily at Shenzi's little ironic pun. "Yes, that name has a nice ring to it," I smiled.

        "I say we use it," the antelope leader laughed.

        "Why not? This battle plan will be officially named 'Operation: Circle of Life.'"

    Back on Pride Rock's promontory, I watched as Sarabi was leading the lionesses through their final training regimen. She had all of them run toward one boulder, jump onto it, and leapt high in the air. Rafiki was there, chucking small rocks into the air. Then, the airborne lioness swiped at it and sent it flying in the ground hard before landing on the ground. And others followed the same procedure soon after. "So, everything ends here, huh?" I didn't need to look over my shoulder to know that was Taka behind me. I replied, "Yes."

        "I bet you think you're so smart."

        "I have no doubt that you would've planned the same thing, probably much faster if need be. You're perfect."

        Taka scoffed, "Hmph. Very funny."

        "I'm glad you think so."

I looked over my shoulder to see Taka's disgruntled expression. I always found it amusing. He never liked sardonic sarcasm deflected right back at him, especially from me. "So, is that all you have to say to me?" I said. "When I look at you, I always know something's wrong."

        "Stop acting like you're Father. You're not him," he sneered.

        "I know I'm not. I can never be my Father; I don't even want to be like him. I want to be…me."

        "Then, I would appreciate it if you stop treating me like a cub."

        "I will stop…when you stop acting like one. A cub can't be the king."

        "Why are you wasting your breath with him, Mufasa?"

Taka and I looked over to see Busara climbing up onto the promontory. "The self-proclaimed 'lone wolf' speaks!" Taka scoffed sarcastically.

        "Joke all you want; I've heard them all," Busara replied, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, you apparently insinuate that you can do the same things Mufasa can do, only better, isn't that right? Well then, say that you're king right now. I challenge you."

        "Challenge me to what?"

        "Fight me right here and now. Do not think of me as Busara but as your everyday rogue that will challenge you for your kingdom."

I raised one eyebrow as I watched Busara crouch down with his claws unsheathed in front of Taka, ready to attack at will. Taka only stared at him for a moment and looked away. He scoffed, "I rather not get my paws dirty."

        "Exactly the answer I was looking for," Busara laughed. "Mufasa would definitely fight me for the kingdom. It's good that you can engage in an intellectual conversation. But, that will never be enough. Face it. You're no fighter. If you can't fight to protect your home, your pride, or even yourself from any obstacle, your reign will be short and bittersweet."

        "You dare say that to me?" Taka snarled.

        "I see it bothers you to hear that. So, it is true. I can see it now. You'll die before you last one day as king. Hah! You, a king…don't make me laugh."

Taka snarled angrily and bowed down his head in defeat. He raced his right claw over the floor below him, making an annoying, screeching sound. I sighed and shook my head. Busara was a bit harsh, but he was right. As he is now, Taka will not be a great king. I had to think about the good of the pride and leave it in good paws. Right now, it just wouldn't feel right to hand the responsibility over to my brother. "Excuse me," I purred. I walked in between Taka and Busara and went into the den. I had to take a few minutes to think.

    As I lied over the slab of stone I sleep over, I rested my head over my arms. I stared into the wall or rather straight through it. I thought, "I doubt Taka is capable of leading the pride. Maybe he shouldn't be king after me. But, I feel like I would betray him. But, it's my duty to see my pride off with the best lion as the new king. If I hand the pride over to Taka and they suffer, it would ultimately be my fault. What should I do?"

        "Mufasa?"

That voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I was free to look and see that Dziva was walking over to me. "Dziva," I purred.

        "Busara told me you were in here before he left," she replied. "When Taka left, he looked so solemn. Did you two have a fight?"

        "No. He just couldn't take Busara's criticism."

        "Oh."

Dziva sat down in front of me as I sighed in exasperation. "And I believe Busara's right about him. I hope that he would change, but it's never going to happen at this rate. Taka can't be the next king."

        "I have to say that it's the right decision," Dziva said.

        "Really?"

        "It's your duty as king to leave the pride with a worthy successor. The pride must come before personal feelings."

        "But, I feels like I'm betraying him."

        "I imagine it does. But, feelings always tend to cloud judgment. Do not forget that you are the king. Remember your duties."

I sighed in defeat. She was right. I have to do what is right for the pride. So, it was decided. I've made up my mind. Taka couldn't be the next king. I had to tell him at once. I stood up and went to go back outside to find him. But, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. In a rather cliché turn of events, I saw Taka right in front of me at the den's opening. He had this mix of anger and sadness over his face. He had overheard the whole thing. I felt my heart beat twice as fast, but I couldn't let go of my serious visage. I had to face making this hard, difficult, and heartbreaking decision. I reminded myself…it was for the sake of the pride. He purred quietly, "Why…?"

        I sighed and rocked my head back and forth. "I'm sorry. It's nothing personal. It's for the pride."

Taka slowly stepped backward, slightly baring his fangs in anger but desperately trying to hold in his tears. Then, he pitifully ran off down the promontory. What a mature exit, I snarled. "Aren't you going to go after him?" Dziva wondered.

        "I have nothing more to say to him," I replied.

I turned around and walked back onto my sleeping rock to lay back down and rest. "I'll leave you alone now," Dziva respectively said. She bowed to me and proceeded to exit the den. Alone once again, the thought of Taka running out on me before ran through my mind again. I saw him run away from me, and I see myself sitting there, watching him leave with a torn heart. Did he run out of my life right then? I hoped he didn't. I hoped he didn't think I did this because I hated him. I realize now that I could never hate anyone. On the contrary…

    …Below the majestic figure of Pride Rock, an adolescent Taka continuously felt over his new mark over his left eye with his paw. I sat in front of him and slapped his paw. "Stop that. You might make it worse," I said.

        Taka bent down his ears and groaned, "You should've seen it all: the humiliation I put up with while you were asleep after all those days. I'm even more of an outcast than I was before."

He snarled and violently scratched the grass. He hissed at me, "I swear, I'll kill Ru-gal for this insult!"

        I shook my head. "We'll get him back, I'm sure of that. But, it's as if you think he changed who you are because of that one little scar."

I stepped closer to me and put one paw over his shoulder for reassurance. "But, I still see the same lion I've known for forever. You're still the same little brother I love." Affectionately, I kissed his scar with my tongue. Taka scowled coyly and pushed me away. "Cut it out," he chuckled, slightly blushing. "What if someone's looking?"

        "I don't care," I laughed. "They're all scared of me anyway."

        "So…how much do you love me?"

Upon hearing that question, I gave him the biggest smile, the biggest I ever had in days. I thought he shouldn't have to ask, because he should know. But, it made me feel great to come out and say it to him…

"…I love you with all my soul…"

    …I'm here again. I have returned to the 'Forbidden Area.' Why must I continue to see this? What purpose does it serve? What will I learn now? My ears were assaulted by the sound of laughter. It came from my left. I walked over to the bushes in front of me and hid behind it. I looked from behind those bushes to see what was so amusing. It was Ombwiri…hopping and running about with another white lion. I never heard her laugh so freely before. It was like seeing a new face. After she landed from her last jump, she stopped and smiled at the lion. "I have never seen a spirited lion like you for a long time. I don't see many like you anymore."

        "You haven't been looking in the right places."

Did I just say something? No. That wasn't me. But…that was my voice! "You can't blame me, you know," Ombwiri sighed. "Don't forget where I came from."

        "It doesn't matter where you're from. We're all lions."

Was I hearing things? What was going on? Why do I hear myself speaking? Ombwiri exclaimed, "But, Vumi believes you're something greater! He won't rest until he has what you have! That's why…that's why you must leave!" Ombwiri quickly stopped before she could continue. She probably thought she was overstepping her boundaries. "Sorry. I shouldn't yell at you like that."

        "If we leave, will we find another place where other lions will accept us as equals?"

Wait. Was that lion saying all that? It had to be, but it's impossible! How could he have my voice? "Well…" Ombwiri purred awkwardly.

        "We've searched for endless days for a secluded place to live where we can't be bothered," said the lion with my voice. "Each time we find one, other lions find out about us and either shun us or abuse us. It's all one monotonous cycle. We're prisoners in our own world."

        "That can't be true. That has to be somewhere where you can live happily."

        "The activities you see everyday is our only happiness."

Ombwiri bowed her head in defeat and shook her head, not wanting to believe what this lion said. I wished I could get a better look at this lion's face. So, I crouched and slowly crept to the left side of the bushes. Then, I looked from behind them and gasped at what I saw. It was like looking at a reflection! It was me as a white lion! This lion had a pure white pelt of fur and a grayish mane. Even how we're built was similar; he even had my big nose. Another major difference is that he has a blue crescent moon symbol over his forehead. His sky blue eyes glittered like stars in the night sky as he looked over the saddened white lioness. He put one paw over her head and purred, "And you're my happiness."

        "Luna…" Ombwiri purred.

        "I envy you. You have no 'blessing' and other lions accept you. I wish I could live like that."

The white lion, Luna, laid his head over Ombwiri and nuzzled with her lovingly. As I watched their display of affection, I just couldn't get over Luna's uncanny resemblance to me. What could this possibly mean? After all these visions of the past, there were more questions…and less answers…

        "Mufasa…"

    …I returned to the den of Pride Rock. I was lying over my sleeping boulder, and there was Sarabi hovering over me with a peculiar grin. I yawned and wearily sat up. "I didn't get much rest last night after Dziva went berserk," I murmured.

        "Do you feel rested up now?" Sarabi purred. "I let you sleep for nearly half an hour."

        "Is that so? Then, it won't be long before we set out."

I decided to go back out to see what everyone was doing. But, Sarabi leapt in my way and giggled. "Not so fast, my dear," she smiled whimsically. Then, she slowly strutted to my side and flicked her tail in my face teasingly. Provocatively, she twirled around me like a snake. But, she was the snake charmer. I sat there and watched the woman I fell in love with dance around me. Nothing else existed to me now. All I could see was my angel. "You wouldn't leave me alone when I'm like this, would you?" she grinned, playing coy.

        "I…supposed it would be rude of me," I replied, smiling back.

I sat there and let her come onto me. Her paws gently raced down my arms, sending chills down my arching spine. She nuzzled her soft nose under my chin and laid her head comfortably over my mane. Then, she began to lick and nibble at my neck. I loved when she does this to me. It was like she was eating a piece of my soul; it was her passionate delicacy. Her muzzle crawled upward and through my flimsy whiskers. Her tongue lapped over my own muzzle shortly after and pulled my face toward hers. I saw that light in her eyes. It had been a while since she ever looked at me with such eyes. Those familiar scents wrapped around me and put me back in its durable spell. "We might never be together like this again," she purred.

        "Don't think like that," I whispered. "After this is over…we'll all come home."

        "Yes. We're all coming home."

Finally, we pressed our faces together, our traditional kiss. I felt her warmth she was willing to share with me. Our breathing aligned along with the simultaneous beating of our hearts. This was too intoxicating to ignore. I had to reply to her yearning call…

    …It was time. Sarabi and I stood over the tip of the promontory as all the animals of the Pridelands gathered under us. The pride stood behind us, and Zazu flew over us to see if everyone was here. I watched him nod to me after he scanned all those present. I looked down and spoke to them once more. "It is time, everyone. We must set out before Vumi makes his move. Remember what we're fighting for and we shall defeat him once and for all!" With that, everyone cried with their natural animal cries. There couldn't be a louder sound than all of us roaring, trumpeting, screeching, and neighing at once. It spread across the land; I heard its echo. I could also say it ran through the clouds above us. It was our transcending cry of victory. It was the life we were given.

    It was agreed. It's time to set out. As the other animals briefed each other one last time, I watched as Sarabi took control of the pride. "You've all trained well," she said. "Now, it's time to show those Shadowlanders and those Diviners our power. Busara will lead the main battalion and Sarafina will have the reserve battalion. Busara, Sarafina, let's get to work!" Busara and Sarafina nodded attentively and split up to be at Sarabi's left and right side respectively. "Main battalion, line up here," Busara ordered.

        "Reserve battalion, over here," Sarafina said.

Immediately, the lionesses stood up and went to their respective battalions in a quick and orderly fashion. I couldn't be prouder of this pride as I watched them. I had as much faith in them as there were inhabitants in this world, human and animal alike. All 30 pride members effectively split up in their battalions with the reserve battalion having the most. We didn't want all of our best fighters to fight at once, especially since something might go wrong. As I looked over the pride, I noticed that a certain lion was missing. "Sarabi, where's Taka?" I wondered.

        "He said he's staying here with Zira to help take care of the cubs," Sarabi replied.

        "Hmm. Just as well, I suppose. Let's get moving."

        "Right. Let's go!" she roared.

I stood up and walked on as soon as Sarabi came to my side with the pride marching behind us. It all begins here. This is the beginning of the end of the long, boring drama as Vumi called it. Either way, whether we win or lose, this is where it will end. I looked up to the promontory to see Zira and the cubs watching us leave. I saw my little Zuhura waving and calling, "Bye, bye, Mom and Dad! Come back soon!" It was for our cubs' future, too. Zuhura and Kayura have so much to live for; they must be allowed to live as well. Great Kings of Past…watch us now. Watch us sally forth into battle…and return victorious.