Chapter 27- Is It Over?
The next thing I knew, I was awake and standing on the edge of pride rock. Looking around, there wasn't the same fading state of it. It had returned to the lush, vibrant colours I had once been used to. To say I was confused was an understatement. When I looked around, "Simba?" I called, thinking I heard something. To my surprise, there were a lot of lions. In fact, there were an even number of lions and lionesses. The part that made me more confused though, was that I recognised none of them whilst scanning over the faces. With the vast number they had, all staring at me, I took a slow gulp, "You're not Simba." Was all I could manage to say, though I was kicking myself for that response.
It took me a moment longer to process who these were, only realising after one of the lions stepped forward to me. I recognised him as one of the first lions to have made contact with me in my dreams. Those dreams hadn't happened for a while, so I had almost forgotten their appearance. "You are quite correct, Tishala, we are not Simba." He let out a chuckle, the warmth in his tone spreading through the air to at least calm me a little bit. "That's not to say we aren't related to him of course. I can see you've remembered who we are." He answered as if reading my mind in that moment.
In truth, I haven't seen all of you. I haven't seen the lionesses before. I'm going to make an educated guess that they're the queens when you were kings." I looked to them all to see the nods coming, though the fact they were all looking at me with the same sort of smile was a little odd, considering I hadn't done anything to earn their smiles. A thought came to mind, reminding me of something I said to them before, "Is Mufasa here? I'm pretty sure last time I spoke with you, I was told I could see him next time." My tone became drier, though I made sure not to be rude. These were all great lions, and they weren't looking for trouble. "It's fine if not, but I would quite like to speak to him again. It just looks like all of you are here, however many that is, but he isn't." I sighed, looking at the lion who had taken to the lead to approach, "I don't mean any disrespect, but he is the only deceased Pridelands king that I actually had the chance of meeting...familiarity and all that." The sheepish smile couldn't be held back on my part, although I knew I wasn't in any risk.
The former king ahead responded, "Mufasa is watching over his family right now. I'm sure you can understand." I blinked a couple of times at his response, unsure what to make of what I had just heard. If anything, he bumped up my confusion and added some worry for me. He could see the concern on my face grow as I digested his words, "Tishala, are you alright?" He asked, both himself and his respective queen stepping closer. However, I had already tuned them out as my thoughts ran wild.
When I regained control of my thoughts, the worry went from my face, though it remained in the pit of my stomach. Looking around at the Pridelands and then back to the lions and lionesses in front of me, I couldn't help but feel that it felt strange to have all of them there. The most I'd had was three visit me. To see all of them, I could only assume they were there for something big. "Am I dead?" I asked, prompting the lion to raise a brow. A few moments later he started chuckling. I could see his queen join in, and before too long, all of the big cats in front of me were laughing. With wide eyes, I looked around at them, feeling a large amount of anxiety creep up on me as I wasn't being answered. To see them all laughing felt a bit odd, but almost as soon as it had started, the same lion stopped it, looking to me again with a warm smile, "I..." I tried to say something but found myself almost choked up in front of them. It was at that moment I realised I had some tears running down my face.
Another of the lions came forward, being much stockier than the first of the great kings to speak to me, "No child, you are not. What made you ask such a question?" He asked.
"Well, I think when I heard him say that Mufasa was watching over his family I became a little suspicious, and then I wondered why I'm seeing all of you here at once, because I haven't ever met this many of you at once, so I figured it was kind of a big occasion. Seeing as you came to me because you wanted me to help get Simba back to the Pridelands, if I died, I maybe took a bold assumption that me being dead would be a large enough event for all of you to gather and tell me how I failed and all that. Or maybe I made the last sacrifice so he could win." I paused, thinking over what happened before I ended up where I was. It was all a little bit blurred to me. I could remember fighting with Scar and Simba got hit, but he wasn't dead, so I did what I cold to keep Scar distracted. I could remember how Scar hit me hard, and I landed on the ground in a lot of pain. My vision was blurry, the rain was pouring hard, I could feel my body screaming to stop, to just rest, because I needed it due to the beating I endured. However, after watching scar approach me, I couldn't really remember what I saw, just that my vision was fading out. I could remember voices and some movement, but I didn't know what it was. "I don't think I made a winning sacrifice. Is Simba alive?" I asked, my attention switching.
The stocky king of the past shook his head, "You needn't worry. Our descendant is still alive and well." He explained, revealing to me that we must have won and defeated Scar. Before I could start to smile though, the former king caught my attention again, "Through the efforts that you and others went through, his rightful place as king has been restored. We found ourselves in the unique situation where we must decide what might happen for the future. Whilst we had faith you would complete the task we entrusted you with; the thought that something more than a working partnership might happen was not something we spent much time considering." For once, all the regal lions looked a little bashful. "It is not up to us where you go from here. Just know, wherever you choose now, we will always watch over you." He bowed his head, as they all did to me.
To hear them speak about me like that was more than a little strange. The whole time, I had been near silent with them, just listening to what they had to say, asking a few questions if I had any. I never anticipated that they would be bowing to me. I returned the gesture to them all though, figuring we could move on after that, "I appreciate that, thank you." A thought came to mind, maybe not the most relevant, but I guessed there may not be a more relaxed time to ask it, "So, how come I've only ever spoken to kings?" I raised a brow, not being too serious for the moment, but starting a small challenge, "Didn't think any of your queens could handle that responsibility?" I asked, half a smirk forming.
Another of the lions came forward, matching my smirk, though I could tell he wasn't going to rude in response, "You never complained about it before. Our queens are as high in status as we are. In truth, some of us are actually prince consorts." He chuckled, going back over to embrace the lioness he was with. "Our queens watch over all lions and lionesses, but they can also provide the guidance that the kings cannot in some ways. Of course, that is why they are our queens. They match us in all ways."
I was surprised to hear a woman's voice come through, stepping past everyone. She looked magnificent, like she was in the prime of her life. In a way, she looked somewhat familiar to me, which made sense considering the family of theirs I already knew, "Having watched over you, I can't say I'm surprised to hear you ask this. You have the sort of spark, the sort of strength that I am happy to see my grandson follow. In many ways, we can see how you match up to him. In the same way all of us had our weaknesses and strengths, they were aided by our other halves. Do not worry, Tishala, you will see plenty more of us in the future when you need us. That's not to say you won't get to see these great kings again. Once more, we thank you for doing all you could to help restore the Pridelands." She smiled at me, giving off a familiar warmth, though I couldn't remember who this lioness must have been. She talked about her grandson, but in my mind that could have been either Simba or Mufasa, though I only thought that because I'd blanked out the mention of that grandson following me. In truth, I didn't feel like anyone had followed me. If I had led something, I hadn't led it alone. The only significant thing I had done by myself was provide the distraction. I wondered if that was what they were referring to. Remembering a story, I had been told, it wasn't like I did a lone search to save the Pridelands from a drought. That was done by one of the felines in front of me though.
Raising a brow, my response came fast though, "Is this your way of telling me I have your blessing?" I asked, prompting a small amount of laughter, "I've gotta say, even if it is, being bowed to by the former rulers of the Pridelands feels odd. I'm not exactly like you."
My response was acknowledged and the same lioness that spoke before got by my side and nudged at my side with hers. I didn't expect actual contact, but it did get me to look her way, "The moment you tried to get Simba back into the Pridelands, you had our blessing. From where we are, we can do a lot to influence things, but never decide them. We were thanking you." The lioness gave a playful little flick of her tail, landing it on my back for a moment, "In many ways, you are like us, but your own unique strength is actually one of the reasons you were chosen. Since then, we have seen those strengths shine, even in moments you didn't seem to believe in them. More than being thankful to you, Tishala, we are proud." She shared with me, all others hearing. Again, that silver tongue reminded me of another lion, but it was like some of my memories were repressed at that point.
Keeping my eyes to the queen at my side, I felt I had to say something in return, unable to help myself to a little jab, "Telling me things in a less cryptic way would be appreciated if I do see you again." I grinned, trying to hold back the small increase in nerves I felt from saying that, "I should be thanking all of you though. If you've all been watching over, you all helped in some way, right?" They seemed to exchange looks between each other, but there was an overall sense of agreement there, "If I didn't have help, then there was no way I could have done it." I thought for a moment, trying to come up with an example, "When I was in the desert...I think I was lost, but then you showed me the way. I'm not sure if you knew how scared or close to giving up I was, but your timing couldn't have been better." Pausing for a few more moments, I could feel my brain processing everything, "Wait...it's all done now, isn't it? I've done what I was here to do." I muttered, my ears falling back, everything feeling heavier in that moment. I hadn't thought about what would happen when I finished.
The former queen held me close though, "You have done what we brought you here for, but if you don't feel you've done everything, then you haven't. The choice is always yours. It was never for us to decide when you're finished, Tishala." She assured, trying to comfort me. "You're starting to wake." She stated, her warm tone remaining though. "We will meet again. When you want us to, we will be there." She embraced me one more time before I could see the world around me fading in a brilliant light, forcing me to close my eyes, making everything disappear.
The next thing I could feel was aching. It took over to the point that I forgot anything I had just seen. The only sensation I got was a sharp ache that felt like a burn running through all of my fire. In particular, I could feel the burn in chest and my front right paw, prompting me to wince, though I made no sound. My eyes still hadn't opened, but my mind raced as I tried to remember everything from before. As I struggled to do that, I felt my frustration grow, only serving to make my body ache further, hurting me more than I wanted. Once I slowed down, I remembered nothing more, other than what I had seen just moments before my world went dark. I could remember hearing someone tell Simba something, and then there was little else for me to have seen, because my vision was fading away, along with my consciousness. A small huff escaped me, though I refused to move, preventing any excess pain from coming to me. I decided after a moment that I had seen darkness long enough.
The effort required to push past the aching just to open my eyes felt as if I had just puled a large boulder up a steep hill. The change in lighting wasn't kind to me though, forcing me to squint whilst my eyes got used to the lighting. Even then, it was an effort for me to keep my eyes open and in that position. Having felt in a physical prime just before our war with Scar, I now felt more brittle than I'd ever felt. It wasn't that the light was harsh, but more that I hadn't had my eyes open in a while, it felt like. Adding that to the fatigue I knew I was going through, it meant I was vulnerable for the moment. In the moment I tried to let my eyes adjust, it let my mind wander and start to race through again. My reaction to that was to open my eyes wide, and although my vision was still blurred, I was looking around at a frantic pace, my heart starting to beat faster. In my head, all I could picture was that final scene in my mind, where Simba had obviously gone in for an attack on Scar. I felt a fresh wave of adrenaline hit me, but rather than give me the strength to get up to help, it just forced my tired form to shake with fear that I felt for Simba as he went to take on his uncle. The voice that told Simba to attack, I had to think of who it was for a few moments before I remembered: Kiburi. My thoughts raced to anger that Kiburi had just sent Simba to take on his uncle when he had struggled before. How did he think Simba was going to be able to take Scar down after he had taken him down before? Looking around some more, I couldn't piece together why the scene had changed, but my head was telling me I still had to get up and help Simba again.
Gritting my teeth, I huffed and tried to push myself up on weak legs, groaning from the aching wave that rushed over me. I refused to back down though, trying to push harder, "Simba, wait!" I called out, though I wasn't sure how clear it was, considering my vision and hearing were compromised to some degree. The strain on my legs became too much for me to fight, and from my half standing position, I crashed back down to the ground. In that moment, I grit my teeth again and let out a growl, frustrated with my inability to get up when I was needed most. Feeling as helpless as I did in the situation my mind put me in, after I growled, my resistances broke and I laid my head on the floor, starting to sob, though even that ached, so I could only let out a few hard breaths as I felt the tears roll down my face. I closed my eyes again as I pictured what was going on. Despite the brighter setting I had my eyes open to, I could only picture Scar getting the upper hand in a battle with Simba as the torrential downpour meant water clung to both of them. I could see as Scar made another swipe at Simba, this time landing the blow that would take Simba down for good. In response, I couldn't help but lift my head, eyes wide open to give a weak scream, "No!" Only to see after that, the scenery around me was calm. It was brighter, but I could make out I was in some shade. Whilst not perfect, I could see and hear better.
It was just a moment after that I was surprised by the presence of Sarabi, who came to my side, and Rafiki, standing in front of me, holding onto his staff. My panic was quelled by the older lioness, who kept herself pressed against me, trying to calm me, "Tishala, it's okay, we're here. You're safe, just stay calm." She spoke with urgency, but didn't sound like she was ordering me to do what she said. After slowing my breathing, the adrenaline wore off and I could start to feel a fresh wave of pain stretch across my body in that harsh aching I thought I could never get used to. It became enough that it prompted a pained groan from me. I winced and buried my head into Sarabi's neck out of instinct, as if it would mask the pain. "Rafiki." She spoke, my ears twitching at his name.
Without any resistance, I felt two hands turning my head, making me face the mandrill, though because of my affected sight, I couldn't make out all details. He didn't have the smile that always seemed plastered on him before, "Come Tishala, you need more rest." I was too dazed to understand what he was saying fully, simple as it was. He got me to open my mouth before giving me something there, making sure I chewed, even helping me do so, before getting me to swallow. I guessed it was a sort of painkiller he had given me. Not even moments late though, I could feel myself fading out again, just leaning more against Sarabi as I heard Rafiki speak, though it wasn't directed at me, "It is time. She will rest now." I couldn't keep my eyes open or stay conscious for long enough to hear her reply.
Waking up this time, I felt groggy, but looking around I could see it was far darker than last time I was awake. Whatever Rafiki had given me, it was strong stuff. The good news though, was that my sight was no longer blurred. It meant I had one less worry about my health at least. My sight was as sharp as I remembered it. That was when I took in my surroundings. I was somehow on a plateau on a tree. I could see I wasn't far up, and judging by the branches that were above me, there was a lot further for this tree to go up. Putting what I had seen with Rafiki's appearance, I guessed this was where he resided, where he had been looking after me. It was a confusing realisation though, because the space I was in didn't seem like it could have naturally formed like that, although I guessed it was impossible. Craning my neck around to try and see more gave me a fresh wave of the ache that washed over me before, making itself known again, though in a less agonising way as before. At least once I stopped moving, the aching had stopped with it. Regardless, it still drew out a pained groan from me. That told me that my hearing had also returned to its previous state. Having felt better, I focused on other parts of me to see if the pain was still widespread. Taking in a deep breath, I felt a little restricted, but it wasn't taxing for me to breathe deep anymore, which was a relief. I was glad to feel that my body was getting to repairing itself. Taking a moment, I checked I had all limbs attached. It wasn't a real fear of mine, but it was just in case I was in far worse shape than before. To my joy, I was whole.
Breathing a sigh of relief to myself, I even allowed myself a content purr, starting to groom my front paws out of habit. As I did, I couldn't help but think over my brief time in consciousness during the day. I had been seeing things as if they were real. Though my voice was croaking when I let out a scream, I could remember the pure fear I felt in the moment I exclaimed for Simba. Something about that left me unsettled. I didn't know why my thoughts had come to the conclusion Simba was still in danger, but I didn't want to go through it again. I hadn't had much explained to me, but hearing Sarabi tell me everything was okay, I could find some peace for myself. Hearing her voice like that reminded me of when I was a younger lioness. The times when she held me close, protecting me from anything that might have frightened me. It had been a while since I had that kind of comfort, but in that moment, it was the calming influence I needed. In the state I was in, I was helpless, and it was only because of the interaction she gave me that I wasn't going to override in panic. In that moment, she knew what I needed. Even if she knew everything was safe, the second she saw me screaming for her son, the fear evident in my voice, she came to my aid. After telling me what I needed to hear, she let me cry into her, like I had done when I was just a cub as well. Thinking back on it, I felt grateful that she had let me do any of that. It gave me the feeling that she would always be there for me if things turned sour for me. Giving another thought towards her, I pictured her face looking at mine. Though I couldn't make out details at the time, I had a good idea of the concern etched on her face.
The next thoughts to pass through my head were that of Rafiki. It had been a while since I saw him, but even with my sight affected at the time, I could tell he didn't look any different to before. I knew that he and the lions worked together, but I still felt he was a little too hands on with me when he grabbed my head and made me look towards him. I smacked my lips as I gave a thought to whatever he made me eat. Thinking back to it, I tried to remember the taste of it. I couldn't picture it, but my head was forming the idea that the taste was somewhat sweet, only to lose its taste and the skin of it made it feel a little bitter at the end, making it hard to swallow. However, in the state I was in, there wasn't going to be any protest from me. It didn't matter though, because what he gave me was a clear success. The last thing he said before I passed out was that I needed rest. With this, I figured that whatever he gave me was a sort of sedative. I didn't know how to feel about being forced to sleep like that, but thinking again, I knew Rafiki was only trying to help, so I trusted his judgement. I just didn't like being a patient. I always wanted to be the one treating the injured and sick, but I guessed that would have to wait until I was healed more. For a while I wondered when Simba would visit, thinking maybe his mother had told him I needed to rest. It was strange for me to be without him. I had gotten so used to being by his side every time I was waking up from sleep or falling asleep next to him. Looking to the scenery outside the tree I could see, peered out to the stars, almost feeling like there was a connection between Simba and I in that moment. I just knew he was looking at the stars at the same time. As I let my smile grow, I felt a small breeze enter the tree and circle me. Whilst it kept around me, I felt free of any ache, closing my eyes and letting the air rush over me.
In an instant, I opened my eyes and remembered everything. Having met with all the royal lions of the past, I had been told that Everyone was safe and well, adding to the calm in the moment. I'd already worked out that Scar had been defeated, but that was after forgetting. Having that knowledge come back to me was another form of relief, letting me rest my head down on the ground again, but with a smile on my face. I recalled all their faces, with one of the former queens in particular reminding me of another lion I'd already met. I would have to ask about her to Rafiki or Sarabi.
"You're looking happy for someone who's injured." A voice announced itself. I looked around to its source and saw Nala. I raised a brow, wondering if she had been there the whole time and I hadn't noticed. From the way she was looking to me with half open eyes then yawning a little, I guessed she was asleep when I woke up. After giving another yawn and then standing up to stretch out, she made her way to my side, "Welcome back to the Pridelands." She smirked a little bit, though her expression shifted to a less jovial look. Looking at Nala, I could take in the changes. She was no longer a cub, though not a full-grown adult. Neither of us were too far off though. I could see her subtle muscle tone, though looking more, I could see there were the signs of a small amount of malnourishment, though it was not very far along, and with the Pridelands being ruled properly by Simba I knew things for the lionesses and everyone else in the Pridelands would improve. Looking to Nala's eyes, I could see the added maturity in them, but also the fatigue that seemed almost a permanent weight on her. Looking at her eyes made me realise and think of what they all must have gone through. Despite the signs of hunger, she still seemed to be a heathy size. I just hoped all that time under Scar's rule hadn't hurt her. The next thing I spotted was unmissable. There was a scratch on the bridge of her nose. At first, I worried it might have been a wound inflicted after she was left as the only cub in the pride, but looking at it further, it looked fresh. Nala noticed where I was looking, "Rafiki says that it will heal and fade. You don't have to worry about another scarred lion to fight, don't worry." She joked, letting out a small chuckle, though I could tell she wasn't feeling the humour as much as her words suggested. I didn't know how to react, so I continued to stare at her, making the young lioness roll her eyes, "I can't be the only one to talk here. I got it when I got too close to a hyena when I was fighting them off with my mother." She paused for a moment, "Please don't stay silent." She groaned, looking a lot more like the Nala I had known and grown up with to an extent.
I found my words after another awkward pause, "I couldn't fight another scarred lion even if you made me. One was enough." I tried to continue the joke, not finding much of a reaction from the lioness. "Is it just me who thinks you'd look badass with a scar? I mean, it's great that it will heal and fade though. That's good news, but no one will be intimidated by you now." I tried to lighten the mood further, shooting a playful wink Nala's way. This time I did get a decent laugh out of her. After that laughter faded, the two of us embraced each other, nuzzling our cheeks together, "I missed you." I spoke up.
Nala didn't take long to reply, "I missed you too." She did sound sincere, but there was something off about it, even as we were sharing a happy moment together. I turned my head to face her, a quizzing look on my face, "It's just..." She continued, looking to the floor before gazing right into my eyes, "It's just I don't understand why you ran away." She revealed, letting out a heavy sigh.
Mimicking her sigh without a thought, I nodded, "I couldn't stay. I couldn't live like I was then. I had to get away. I was only staying because I knew everyone else was trying to help me. When Scar tried to arrange a marriage for me, and with a lion he could manipulate to his whim, I knew I was just a pawn to him. I was just a means for him to control others. He would have manipulated my betrothed to do the same to me. How could I accept that life?" I explained, asking what I thought was a question that wouldn't be answered.
The other lioness didn't nod. She didn't shake her head. For a moment there was silence, Nala staring off at nothing as she thought of what to say, "I understand...well, I can't understand in the same way, but I can see why all of that made you come to that decision. Tishala, in truth, seeing you back brings me mixed feelings. I'm unsure if I should be overjoyed or...or angry." She frowned at the same spot she had been staring at. The other lioness knew I was going to ask the questions, so she continued before I uttered the words, "When you ran away, it was like the final bad thing to happen before I just couldn't stay happy anymore. First with Simba and Mufasa dying, then Scar letting hyenas into the Pridelands, nothing really felt like home anymore. Even before you ran, we started spending less time, because Scar picked you as an heir. I was never upset about that, but I did want to see you more than I got to. I always had my mother, but when you ran away, I didn't have anyone near my age, so even with my mum, I felt alone. I was sad. I was so sad that the lionesses noticed and tried to pick me up, but it didn't work tat much. I did what I had to, so I could maintain good relationship with others, but I think there were several nights I would lay in the den away from everyone else." Taking a deep breath, she looked to me, a somewhat downtrodden expression on her, "At first when I thought about you, I was upset, I would even start crying if I had a bad day. I didn't know why at first, but I found that when I thought about you, there was sadness, but a bit of anger. I was starting to resent you." Her expression hardened toward me, those emotions she was talking about coming to the front.
Feeling a pang of fear rise when she looked at me like that, I leaned away from her, "Nala, I'm sorry. I just had to go." I could feel my voice start to crack a little bit under the pressure.
She didn't flinch, staring down at me with cold eyes, though only for a moment, "I resented you, because things only got worse once you left. Scar was pretty clear how angry he was that you had left us. He took it out on the pride. Seeing that, I started hating the fact you ran away. Because of you, bad things were happening to our pride. I just didn't see how that could be fair. Why were we being punished for something bad that you had done?" She huffed, calming herself again, "And you tell me about how he wanted to marry you off to some other lion. I know he wanted to do that, it's what happens, but even if I didn't know about his plans...even though I know now, I still think what you did was selfish and not done in the interest of the pride. A part of me thinks that though, not all of me. Another part of me remembers what you were like. Even if you were scared, you didn't seem to back down from much. The part of me that remembered that version of you, it kept fighting your corner. Although I resented you, I wanted you back, if only to see what your decision caused, but I just wanted to not feel so alone. I had to grow up fast because of it all." Even though her words came across as harsh at point, and her expression remained stern, I could see tears forming in her eyes. "I tried to make up for you leaving to Scar. I hoped that if I could do the things he wanted you to do, then he might be nicer to the pride. He took little notice of me though. I couldn't figure out why he was more willing to tolerate you, but even if I did the same thing as you, he might have glanced for a second, but it never lasted. Looking back now, it feels strange that I was trying to even get his attention. It didn't take long for mum and Sarabi to make me swear I wouldn't approach him again unless I was with one of them. Again, it thought it was a sort of punishment caused because you ran away. It didn't take much longer before I realised that they knew he wouldn't have paid attention regardless. They showed me how Scar only thought for himself." She finished.
Looking at her again, even with her unhappy expression, I couldn't help but start nuzzling her again. The way she talked about her experience, it scared me that she went through all of that. Although she said she harboured some resentment for me, I knew I couldn't just look at her with some kind of dumb look on my face. She returned it, bringing us back to where we were before, "Nala, I am so sorry. I am sorry that my running away made you feel that way. I never wanted to do that to you..." My voice went shaky as the two of us started crying against each other. All the emotion of reuniting with my friend was hitting both of us, "I promise, I am never going to leave you like that again. If I do...you can hunt me down and tell me how bad a friend I am." Both of us let out a chuckle in between our sobbing. The mood was a mixture of happy and sad, but it was leaning more toward the former.
We held each other close like that for what felt like an age, but we needed it. Once we calmed down, Nala looked to me with a kinder face than before, "I know that it may take some time to get over my resentment, but I will. The moment I saw you back, I got excited like a cub for a second. That's how I know we'll go back to normal...that's my promise to you." She purred, both of us laying our heads down on the ground, looking with soft smiles. Just a second later, I yawned, making her do the same.
I moved to stand, wanting to stretch out. However, my body wouldn't let me do such a thing, the pain flaring up in a staggering ache that ran through all of my body. I slumped back down and sighed, "I don't know what Rafiki gave me for the pain, but I am going to need more of that. I just hope it doesn't make me feel sick or anything. Still, this must be strong as well. If we defeated Scar earlier, then I guess it's had me out all day, except for one point where I woke up." I chuckled.
Nala's brow raised and she spoke as if I was missing something, "Yeah, it must be strong if you don't even know how long it's been."
"What do you mean? We won today, didn't we?" This time my brow raised, my head tilting at her.
Her head started shaking, "No. We won yesterday." She revealed, making me gasp.
"Wait, so you're telling me I have been knocked out for over a day?" I asked, feeling a little sick to my stomach. I knew I had been hit hard, but I didn't anticipate I'd been hit that hard in the fight.
The other lioness didn't waste any time answering my question, "Yes. Scar was defeated yesterday. Simba and king Nguvu took you here, Sarabi leading them. Everyone was so worried for you. We calmed down once Rafiki said you would be okay, you just needed to rest. He insisted he would keep you hydrated whilst you stayed at his. I don't know how the mandrill would do that while you're asleep, but I won't question him. I volunteered to watch over you tonight. Tomorrow I have to go and help though. Sarabi and king Nguvu have plans to help make the Pridelands recover." She finished explaining, catching me yawning again, "And you need sleep. We will talk when you're not sleepy, okay?" She prompted me to close my eyes, gesturing for that action, assuming she was doing the same. It didn't take long for me to feel sleep taking over, though this time it wasn't a forced sleep, which was always good news. I fell into a more comfortable slumber, Nala pressed against me.
Rather than being forced into sleeping, I was forced to wake up, a mandrill opening my eyes, "It is time! Time to wake up, young lioness. You have been resting but haven't given a chance for ol' Rafiki to welcome you back to de Pridelands!" I opened my jaws wide to let out another yawn, signalling my distaste for being woken up. Smacking my lisp together and stretching my tongue out, I finally opened my eyes enough to look at him properly. "Haha! Welcome back, Tishala. You have had quite de time since we last met, eh?" He chuckled, walking around me and prodding me with his staff. I felt all of those prods and only became a little irritated by them. "You found a dead lion. Simba brought back from de dead. De great kings watch over you well, hmm?" I shot him a surprised look, getting another response of laughter from him, "You are not de only one they talk to. They found a fine lioness to bring back de true king." He nodded, then giving a quick bow to me. "Now, with de war over, de Pridelands can return to how it should be." He nodded again, pointing to a painting that wasn't there when I last looked in the night. I was stunned to see the quality of art he had produced in a short space of time. He could see my reaction and beamed more, "You like dis one? You should see de one I will add to de cave beneath pride rock." He had a small moment where his chest puffed out with pride.
With a raised brow, I looked to him, "There isn't a cave beneath pride rock...so I don't think your next piece will be quite so visible." I couldn't help but snicker, wondering if his advanced age meant he had forgotten some things about pride rock. "I would have known if there was." I gloated.
Once again, all he did was laugh, "Well you don't know about de cave beneath pride rock, den." Before I knew it he bonked my head with the end of his staff, forcing me to rub my head from the pain until it went away. "It is okay. You can look now. It may be important to your future." He giggled, "When you have de time, take a look. You still have much to learn." He nodded.
Lifting my head to look at him from a different angle, I asked, "Why would it be important to me? Is it somewhere I can get away from everyone if I need the space?" I had a feeling that wasn't the right answer, but I wanted to try and get Rafiki to at least give me an idea of why I should know this cave.
He twirled his staff a few times as his head shook, humming and tutting at me, "No. Dis cave is not for you. Dis cave is important to your future. I cannot tell you. Not until it is time." He pointed a finger up as if to stop me from pressing any further.
Huffing, I pouted in his direction, but to not effect on the mandrill, "Fine, if you won't tell me, then I'll have to change the subject. What was it that you gave me when I woke up yesterday?" I asked, waiting to see what he would tell me this time.
He didn't prevent me from asking a question like that, a spark in his eyes as he was getting to show someone else his craft. He disappeared for a moment, going into the higher up parts of the tree before reappearing right in front of me. The sudden appearance forced me to back up, getting me to stand. I felt uncomfortable, the ache from before persisting, but the fact I could stand meant it was going down. Seeing my reaction, Rafiki started, "It may be some more days before you walk at full strength again, but it will happen. Now you can walk, I suggest finding king Simba. Everyone wants to see de new queen." I felt a wave of embarrassment rush over me when he called me that. I didn't say anything but gestured to his hands where his medicine still was. "Dis? Oh, dis I used because I could see how hard you pushed your body. You didn't listen when it told you to stop. A mind stronger dan de body." He hummed as if it was a bad thing, "Listen to de body. Dis is good at helping exhausted bodies recover, and also makes de body stronger, yes, stronger! Dat way, you will fight off infections as well as you fought off Scar." He was almost jumping about he was so happy.
"Wait, I didn't fight off Scar that well...but I see what you're saying. What's it called?" I asked.
He looked at them, revealing that they appeared to be small berries, at least to me. "Dis is Losin."
Nodding in response, I inspected them closer, Rafiki holding his hand out for me to do so, "Losin...I don't think I've ever seen them before. It is interesting how they work as a sedative, as well as having anaesthetic properties." I lifted my head and smiled at him, feeling more like my old self, despite the aching I felt all the time. Turning away from him, about to exit the tree, I took a few steps and wobbled on each of them. I looked at the small jump I would have to make down the tree to the ground. It didn't scare me though. I took a look back at Rafiki, "I may need some more losin later, but really, I think we might need a lot more of it, I can imagine once I meet other lions, they will all have at least some kind of injury. It was a big war, after all. If you need me to, I will help." I nodded.
Before I could jump down, he laughed out one more response, "Haha! To be finding losin with de new queen of de Pridelands, it would be an honour." He laughed once more before waving me off.
Rather than let him see my face go red again, I jumped down. I couldn't claim it was the cleanest landing. I swayed from side to side, having to widen my stance so I didn't fall down, my legs wanting to buckle from the impact. "Sorry, legs." I muttered, looking down at them as I started walking to pride rock, the structure visible in the distance. As I looked around, I could see the sun was shining down on the Pridelands, a gentle breeze drifting through my fur, though I knew this wasn't the work of the guiding spirits. In truth, the lands still looked wounded, but with some clouds in the sky, the weather looked as if it was going to help us regrow the kingdom. A few times I had to wince as extra pressure on that front right paw was more uncomfortable than anywhere else, though Rafiki had assured me I would be fine already, so I had no reason to worry for it. I just made sure not to put too much pressure on it.
Looking ahead to pride rock, I could feel a smile growing on my face. Instead of excitement though, I felt relief. For all that time I had spent running away, then in the jungle, then preparing for war, it was nice to feel I didn't have something like that to do. I was hobbling closer, though I soon got used to the feeling of discomfort and made my stride appear more normal than before. It was nice to do this walk by myself, it let me enjoy everything peaceful around. Despite the rather damaged scenery, it felt like everything was right again. With the warm sunshine glowing on my fur, I took a deep breath with my eyes closed, opening once I let it out. It had been a long time since I was this at ease with everything. I just hoped it would stay that way for just a little while.
Arriving at pride rock, I started to see many other lions and lionesses around. Some of them were from the Kifalme lands and others were from the Pridelands. It made me smile to see them mixing so well already. I didn't know how much longer they would all be here but knew they would remain for the time it took for us to restore the Pridelands, at least until we could manage it without their help. I may have been imagining it, but I could see some gentle flirtations happening. I recognised a few of the flirting couples, one in particular, with a Kifalme lion being rather friendly to a lioness I recognised well: Inja. I made a note to myself, making sure I would speak to Inja when she wasn't busy flirting.
Walking still wasn't the easiest thing, but I didn't look like I was struggling as I took each step, so it was good enough for me. Rafiki had told me how everyone was concerned, but I didn't know how much they were concerned, considering he had informed them that I would be fine. Still, this would have been the most active any of them had seen me since I was knocked out by Scar. As I walked closer, I remembered that Rafiki had been referring to me as queen, which was a little embarrassing to hear, though I guessed I would have to get used to it. Making another mental note, I reminded myself to talk to Sarabi on how to cope with such a pressure. She was there to look up to, but I knew that as queen, I would have others looking to me, as I had been told by Amali.
In a more literal sense, I noticed that the other lions around had stopped what they were doing once they saw I was there. All of them stood, their stares making me stop for a moment. I looked around at all of them and saw them smile at me. What happened next really caught me by surprise. They started bowing, their heads down to greet me. Feeling uncomfortable, I walked through, my face burning with a blush. This was something I had never experienced, and even though I knew I was queen, I didn't feel anything like one. I didn't know how a queen was supposed to feel, in truth. "You really don't have to bow to me." I felt like I was being a cliché, but I really didn't know what else to say. None of it felt natural to me. Although I didn't feel comfortable speaking at that point, someone else did.
Inja's voice cut through the silence, "We know we don't have to. We just did because we wanted to welcome the new queen." She stated, though I could tell there was a small amount of mocking about her words. She knew I wouldn't have felt comfortable, so it was a prime opportunity. "Our new queen. The one who helped end our kingdom's suffering. You can't blame us for being happy to see you. We were all worried." She finally approached me, the lion she was talking with staying back. At least he knew he didn't have to follow her everywhere. Inja gave a short nuzzle to me, "You've grown up since we last me, your majesty." Her words were quieter, only for our ears. "It looks like you were just meant to rule the Pridelands. You run away but come back...I knew you would come back." She dragged her tongue over one of my ears, much like she did when I was a cub. "It scared me as much as it excited me to see you again. You scared everyone when you started backchatting Scar, actually." She frowned.
Her expression prompted me to chuckle a little, "Sorry about that. If I'm being honest, the whole time I was there with him, I was terrified. It was actually a relief once I was off pride rock. I'm glad I came back with help. I'm sorry we had to fight to get everything back. Did we lose any lions?" I asked, getting her to shake her head, though she followed with a small shrug, suggesting no lions to her knowledge had died in the war. I figured it would have been that way, seeing as Rafiki didn't mention any deaths to me. Looking around, I saw the other lions had gone back to socialising with each other. "I can tell the hyenas aren't here anymore. It's for the best." We both nodded, though I couldn't help but feel a little sombre about that. I added yet another mental note, to visit the elephant graveyard. If I were to find the hyenas, it was my best bet that they returned to where they came from.
The other lioness noticed my small change in expression, "I know that face. The last big ideas you had were risky, to say the least. Just remember that they hyenas were never nice to any of us." She seemed to warn me. I could understand why she might be like that. I hadn't been in the Pridelands to see how the hyenas treated them after I left. They didn't act kind towards the lions, but then it wasn't like the lions had been pleasant either. In addition, Inja didn't know that not all of my experiences with them were horrible. The way Shenzi seemed to listen to me, it may have been from fear in the moment, but I had a feeling that there was a bit of trust in there, which came from the time I saved their hides one time. Something about her reaction stayed with me. I couldn't just forget about it, because I knew that she made it easier for us to defeat Scar. She was aware that we would win, but she helped. "I'm sure you have bigger things to think about than hyenas that ran away. You'll have plenty of time."
I decided it was best for me to leave the topic of hyenas alone, "I'm sure you have bigger things to think about, too. I think that Kifalme lion over there has his eyes on you." I teased, having become accustomed to that behaviour after spending enough time with Tabia, Winda and the others. Inja rolled her eyes, as if she expected me to say that. She didn't argue though, just starting to turn before I stopped her, "Inja, wait..." I embraced her again, "First of all, are the royal lions up in pride rock?" She nodded, looking confused as to why that question required me to grab hold of her. "Second," I continued, smiling at her, our eyes locked, "I can't tell you thank you enough, ever. I will find a way to do something for you though, just watch." We both smiled at one another, the memories of what she did for me coming to the front of my mind. From the way both of us were welling up, I could tell she was feeling the same about it. I snickered, wiping one of my tears, "Ah, as your queen, I dismiss you."
She nodded and made her way back, both of us thankful we didn't start crying in front of everyone. It was nice to have happy tears for a change though. With Inja gone, I made it to pride rock's base, having nodded to various bowing lions as I made my way there. As I ascended to the den's entrance, Simba and Sarabi were walking out. It took a moment, but they soon registered who it was. Simba was the first to run over to me, beaming with joy. He almost knocked me over if it weren't for Sarabi's words to calm him down, "Simba, be gentle, Rafiki has said she will still need to heal." It sounded like she had repeated that a few times to him before I had arrived. I couldn't blame him though. Being near the new king again gave me some extra energy. I was beaming back at Simba, though less leaping around as I still had to tread with care. Sarabi approached me and gave a gentle nuzzle, the two of us purring, "It is good to see you up and about, Tishala. For a while, you had everyone worried." She let out a small chuckle, "I suppose we should know better than to question Rafiki's healing abilities and your fighting spirit. The two things we knew would be there." The lioness chuckled again.
"I was never in doubt. After all this young lioness had been through, I knew she would tough it out again." A new voice came from within the den, and Nguvu emerged, smiling down at me in a proud manner. "She has always shown a fondness for sleeping in as well, so it was no surprise we only saw her now." He let out a hearty chuckle, jesting at my rather lengthy sleeping patterns, at least when I had my way. That wasn't the case when Simba and I had all those days training to do with everyone else. Looking at Nguvu, he didn't look like he had taken any damage in the fighting. He looked rested and immaculate as ever. Having seen how he was handling his lot of hyenas; I wasn't too surprised.
Sarabi shared his amusement, nodding, "That's true. When she was here, she never seemed to enjoy getting up early much either. There were the odd occasions, but you'd be lucky." The two of them started laughing again, picturing their own respective memories of what I could be like in the mornings. "Anyway, it is good you're here, Tishala. We were going to discuss some things, but thought sitting outside would be preferable, what with the beautiful weather now." She looked to me, her soft smile returning.
Nodding, I waited for them to make a move, but when they didn't, I had to ask, "Where's Fikiria and Kiburi?" I looked between all of them, but none of them showed any sort of reaction that told me something. "Wouldn't it make sense for all of the royal lions to be present for this? Isn't it tradition or something?" I questioned, still waiting or an answer.
Nguvu was the first to respond, "Of course. Kiburi is inside the den right now. No doubt he will be out in a moment. I think the fighting left him almost as tired as you were." He let out a small laugh, "It is a change from his usual serious mood though. You may be surprised." He looked to me again with a growing smile. The large lion cleared his throat before speaking again, "Fikiria volunteered to help some of the lionesses reach the different sides of the Pridelands borders. He won't be able to join this time, but in future discussions, yes he will be part of it." He let out a happy sigh, "As much as I wish it didn't come through a war, I found yet another reason to be proud of my boys. From what I've been told, they worked together. It makes a change from them having verbal spats at each other. From what I heard; they were leading through any battles they faced. It shouldn't have taken a war for those two to start getting along as we as that, but in terms of my kingdom's future, you have to indulge me a moment to feel proud of them and the future I think they will bring for the Kifalme lands. I suppose the kinship will show itself when they need it most. I am sure that when their younger sister grows up, they will show her how they can all work together." He looked to Sarabi, "I'm sure you can understand what it is like to feel proud of your child. Especially now." They both looked at Simba, who actually took their admiring stares in his stride; much better than I could handle it anyway.
Our ears twitched and we looked to the mouth of the den, seeing Kiburi emerge, dragging his paws a little as he walked. It sounded like a small groan escaped his lips just before he spoke, "Apologies for being late, everyone. I think I still have a degree of fatigue affecting me." He looked around, spotting me, "As I'm not the only one though, it's not an excuse. Greetings, your majesty." He bowed at me, and unlike the others who had greeted me in that way, I could tell he was being genuine.
Kiburi's father smiled, "Right, with everyone here, let's get ourselves comfortable, shall we? We have some important matters to discuss, so it really is great that we can have you here as well, Tishala." He nodded and we all padded away from the den, sitting ourselves towards the edge of pride rock.
I didn't waste any time sitting myself next to Simba, the lion resting his head on top of mine as I pressed against him, "I'm so glad you're okay." He muttered to me as everyone else was getting settled. "We're here...we made it. We did it. We came from the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa, and now we're back home." He continued to mutter into my ear. In truth, I only heard some of what he said, just finding peace in being held close by him again. Having gone through everything we had, I didn't know if we would be able to again, given the stakes of the war. With that, I let out a low purr, nuzzling under his chin. He returned the affection, licking the top of my head, in between my ears, "I am so proud of you." He said in a quieter tone, "My queen." He finished with a purr of his own.
We stopped our little talk just as everyone settled in their spot, though I knew some of them had heard what Simba had been saying. I looked over to see Sarabi smiling at the two of us, then turning to face Nguvu as he started addressing everyone there, "Aside from Fikiria, all the royal lions are here. Now, as you will all know to some extent, Sarabi and I have sent some of the Pridelands' and Kifalme's most trusted lionesses to locate and convince herds to return to the Pridelands. We have given them instruction to inform these herds of what has happened, and what will be happening now that the true king has returned." He paused to look at Simba and I, whilst we were holding onto each other, though we were paying attention, "Part of the information they are going to explain is that the new king and his queen have agreed they will not have an official ceremony of their coronation until the Pridelands have healed enough." Both Simba and I nodded, showing our understanding of the situation. Hearing what he said, I knew it was for the best. If anything, it calmed my nerves about it for at least a little longer. "In addition, this does mean that the two of you will not marry until this time as well. However, knowing what the two of you are like, I believe you have your priorities right anyway." He smiled to us.
Just after he finished, Sarabi spoke up in his place, "I have been told this is what you were both aware of to some extent. I can't help but agree that it's the best thing. The Pridelands will have its herds back before too long if the two of you can demonstrate as rulers, that you are putting the kingdom's needs before your own. The animals that left only did so out of fear and a distrust for the way their king was ruling at the time. If you can both demonstrate you respect the circle of life, then I have no doubt the herds will return. You two are both known by those herds, at least to some extent. Simba, my son, you are the true king, and Tishala, though you were announced as Scar's heir, I have no doubt you were never seen to be the same as him. Both of you have to act in a way that shows you as a shining future for the kingdom. It's what they will want to see. We know it's a lot of pressure on your young shoulders, but we have faith you'll handle it." She turned to face Nguvu, "Some lionesses will be back in the next couple of days. The lionesses who left today may take longer, as the herds they have been tasked with left before. It is imperative we find the elephants though. One of their leaders, Aminifu, was always a strong ally with lions. I have no doubt once we find him, he will give us the assistance of the elephants." She looked back to Simba, "Simba, you and I will find them. I have an idea where the elephants might be. Nguvu, my son and I will not need your assistance with this. If herds do start arriving, please, welcome them in and inform them the role your pride is having. When they know what happened, I have no doubt they will feel at ease. I don't need to tell you how to do your job. Your son, Fikiria, I see no reason why he can't keep helping direct and organise the lionesses. When you get the chance to, ask if he will do the same for herds coming in, guiding them to pride rock where you will address them." She cleared her throat, "Finally, Kiburi, if you are feeling rested enough when this happens, then I would like you to assist your father. You two act for the best interest of others. The more we have showing that attitude, the easier this transition period will be." I saw the two of them nod in response.
Nguvu signalled his intent to speak again, allowing Sarabi to step back, "Simba, Tishala, look out across those lands, if you will." He told us, waiting until both Simba and I were looking out from pride rock. "This is your kingdom now. It is your responsibility. For now, it looks like the shadow of its former glory. However, with careful guidance and the support of everyone, you will find it will look its best before too long. You will find that when the herds return, the improvement will be dramatic. Dramatic as it may be, you must not forget that it will still be fragile. The full recovery will take a long time, but if you always keep the right approach, you will have nothing to worry about. No doubt Sarabi will be able to assist you in making some decisions, though it won't be too long before you will be able to make them for yourselves. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ask though. If you are unsure, that is the benefit of having someone more experienced with you. Sarabi is always going to be valuable to you, in more ways than you even know right now." We both nodded in response.
Hearing everything that was said, I couldn't help raising a brow, "So, what am I supposed to do, sit and look pretty?" I asked, "I notice that no one has given me something to do yet."
Sarabi was quick to reply, "For now, we need you to rest. Stay here at pride rock and recover. Rafiki will check to make sure you are recovering as you should. The rest of us don't have as much to recover from." Her kind smile grew as she stepped closer to me and Simba, "This isn't us trying to keep you out of anything. Once you have healed enough, you will find you have an overwhelming number of duties. Simba is just going to discover that a little quicker." She let out a small chuckle, though Simba and I both exchanged somewhat worried looks. "You don't need to worry. You'll get used to it. It's a learning curve that everyone has to go through." I could see Nguvu nodding in the corner of my eye.
Having had it explained to me, I felt less out of touch and more accepting of it, "Okay, but it won't be long before I can do stuff again. I want to help out. It's my duty to look after the Pridelands as well. Though I think before I start being queen, I might have a few questions for you later, if that's okay?" I gave a rather bashful smile, though it got the nod of approval from Sarabi, "Great, thank you."
Once our plans had been addressed and set, Nguvu announced his voice again, "So, with that all sorted, I suppose we are all up to date. I propose we try to have these meetings every other day. We need to keep ourselves up to date as often as possible. It may be that we ask your major-domo to relay information to us from the skies if meeting is not possible, or the development is urgent." Those words jogged my thoughts over to the bird. I hadn't seen him since coming back, but guessed he wanted some rest too. I wanted to see him again, thinking of the times when he would tell me stories from the Pridelands' past. "However, I think we cleared this up already, Sarabi. Let me be the first to give an official welcome and congratulations to the new king and queen of the Pridelands." He looked to Simba and I. Then, the mighty king bowed to us, lifting himself back up moments later. "I hope we are able to work together and set the example for many generations to follow in. Simba, the lost prince, now the king. I know you will do what is right. If I may speak of this, I know your father would be incredibly proud of the lion you are, and the lion you will be." His deep voice hit me with a warmth I'd heard a few times from him. The words he said made me smile, thinking of how proud Mufasa would be of him. My thoughts were interrupted by that same voice though, "Tishala, though we met under different circumstances, the lioness I have gotten to know couldn't be more worthy of the title of queen. Having watched you in Kifalme, I was privileged to see all your strengths come to light. You truly live up to your namesake. I am certain your family would be in awe of the lioness you are becoming." I nodded, feeling me cheeks go red. At the same time, Simba rubbed our cheeks together, his form of showing his own pride for me. "When you first arrived in Kifalme searching or help, I saw two lost lions who didn't know what else to do. When I look at you both now, I don't think I would recognise those scared lions. I now see the king and queen. The allies to Kifalme, and the dear friends to many of its members. On behalf of my kingdom to yours, we wish you all the greatest success." He bowed again before leaning in a bit, "You'll both be wonderful."
Those kind words got to me and Simba, both of us looking to each other's eyes. I had never looked at someone with such adoration before. Seeing him look down to me, I could picture just how good a king he was going to be. The two of us embraced each other again, holding for a few seconds before looking back to everyone again.
Seeing their happy faces, I couldn't help but notice one of them was not smiling in the same way. Kiburi wasn't smiling. In fact, he was looking on like he hadn't heard any of that. I wondered if he didn't approve the whole time but kept it a secret from me. That didn't make sense though, considering everything he had said to me. I got out of Simba's hold and took a few steps over to Kiburi. Peering into his eyes, it was like he wasn't going to respond. His eyes looked glazed over almost. The way he stared; it was like he was looking into the distance. "Kiburi?" I asked, sounding a little more concerned than I had felt moments before. He didn't respond much to the words, still looking into the distance. His expression looked vacant, like he was barely conscious.
After what felt like an age, he looked my way, like he had been jolted to life for that moment, though his expression soured somewhat, like he was in pain. "Tishala..." He panted out, though it was a quiet word, only enough for me to looked like he was starting to smile, but then, before he could, Kiburi collapsed on the ground.
We were all in a bit of shock at seeing that. "Kiburi!" I yelped, getting closer so that I could get a look at him. He was lying on the ground, his breathing becoming shallow. I used one of my paws to open one of his eyes. I made sure the sunlight was able to get to it, but when I saw a delayed reaction, I knew this was something to get worried about.
It was like I was able to block out the commotion that Nguvu and Simba were making in a slight panic. Of course, they weren't drawing attention to everyone, but I knew they were talking a load of scared, confused words. I walked around Kiburi, inspecting him. Once I got to one of his back legs, it wasn't clear, but I could see some wounds beneath his fur. "I see some wounds on his back leg, here." I gestured to the wound.
Hearing this, Simba and Nguvu calmed themselves, the former even speaking up, "Kiburi says he got his by hyenas a couple of times, but he didn't think it was serious, because he had been feeling fine. He even told Rafiki." Simba explained to me, rushing through his words.
It was only because of my focus that I understood what he was saying, "Okay, did he say if it was a scratch or a bite?" I asked. Simba gestured as if he didn't know. I leaned in closer to the wound, seeing a puncture of the skin that was consistent with a bite. "It looks like he was bitten to me." I sighed, looking to Nguvu with a rather glum expression, "There's a chance that the reason this is happening is because the wound got infected. It could have been directly from the bite, or it could be because he didn't give himself the right treatment or caution when the wound was trying to heal. The wound hasn't actually dried." I shook my head, trying to think of what we could do, or what even was the exact issue with him. "We need to get Kiburi to Rafiki. Someone help carry him. We might not have much time."
A/N: So, there it is, the follow up to the war. I hope you all like it. I have a feeling that from next month onwards, I'll be able to update more regularly. I hope you've enjoyed it all so far! If not, I guess I can't be perfect, but I am working on improving every time. With that ending, time is of the essence for Kiburi! Or will it all just be an overreaction? Let me know what you think. I don't own The Lion King, that's all Disney's. Please be so kind to leave a review, I do read all of them and I know it sounds silly, but it gives me a bit of extra motivation. I'd like to see 70 reviews at some point, because that'd be awesome, so yeah, please don't hesitate to put in a review, I'd love to see what you guys like etc. All the best and until next time!