Chapter 28- Leave The War With Me
Behind me, Nguvu was pacing back and forth whilst Rafiki and I inspected the unconscious prince. I had never seen him so worried before, though it made sense considering it was his son's life in potential danger. Word had spread fast, reaching Fikiria, causing him to abandon his post helping guide the lionesses. He stood outside because of the lack of space, already restricted with three lions inside. Even if he wasn't conscious, Kiburi let out some pained groans, wincing, shutting his eyes tighter than before. There didn't seem a moment where he wasn't pained.
Rafiki and I looked at the wounds closer. The two of us tried to get abetter feel of it, but Rafiki was better help than I could have been. We both winced as we could see some discharge come from the wound, in addition to the fact that it looked aggravated before we even touched it, we didn't have much confidence for something less serious. Whilst the mandrill assessed the wounds, I looked over the fallen lion, checking for any reaction to what must have been a painful wound, only made more painful with the necessary attention Rafiki was giving it. If there was a reaction, I would feel a bit better, knowing that his nervous system was at least working as it should. There were a few twitches from the prince, but nothing major, although he was unconscious, so I didn't expect as much of a reaction. At least his body was still trying to respond. It gave me hope he would be fighting off whatever was damaging him. Taking my attention back to the wound, Rafiki even pushed my face away a little bit so he could get a closer look himself, his fingers' extra dexterity being useful. I looked to him, concern etched on my face, "His breathing is shallow. I think his heart is beating too fast as well. Rafiki, I know I can't do as much as you can, but I think it's clear we have a case of infection. I just don't know what infection it might be." I sighed, feeling frustrated I couldn't be of as much help as I wanted to be. Instead of working out the infection, I set my mind to a different task, "We should have something that we can put on the wounds, right? You've gotta have something that can help."
The mandrill, hearing my panic, didn't flinch when continuing to assess the wound, instead putting a hand up in my face, speaking as he made sure to maintain focus on what he was doing for Kiburi, "Tishala, shwari." Was all he said, his tone remaining steady as I felt my own mind spinning out of control. As much as I wanted to snap at him, the frustration that built just led to me sighing, calming down as I let him finish working on Kiburi. "You are correct. His wound is infected. De bite of a hyena is de cause. When he visited me last time, de wound looked de same as now. I thought maybe he would see me again soon. Young lions, dey often don't worry, but dis is very serious." He sighed.
Nguvu stopped pacing, a frown on his face as he looked at Rafiki, stepping in as if to intimidate, "Are you saying this is my son's fault?" His words weren't angry, but the tone of his voice sounded as if he threatened to get defensive at any accusation of his son.
I came between the two of them, shaking my head at Nguvu, "That's not what he was saying at all, Nguvu. I think what Rafiki was trying to say was that he wishes he had been able to do more when he first saw Kiburi." I waited to hear Rafiki agree with me, but the mandrill continued with his task as if there was no altercation, "Trust in the two of us to be able to help your son, please. Don't stress yourself more than we already feel. We will do everything we can." I nodded to him, keeping pour eyes locked. I didn't want to make promises to him, but I knew that combined, Rafiki and I had a good chance of working something out. With the potential conflict resolved, I turned back to the primate, getting my attention back on treating the unconscious lion. "You said that it was a hyena bite. Do you have something that you would use for that? His wounds are quite sore, so way me need to take some of the inflammation down before doing much else. That'll make our job easier." I explained.
The old mjuzi broke his focus from Kiburi for a moment to speak with me, "What do you recommend?" He asked, though it felt like he was just testing me. I felt another surge of frustration because it seemed like time was being wasted by asking the question and not just him responding to me.
Wracking my brain, I shook my head just before speaking out an answer, "Off the top of my head, I think you can reduce inflammation...I don't know, but I do know that you can help boost him by using something like rosemary or yarrow...look, we really can't waste time on asking me what I do and don't know. We just need to focus on treating him, so please, Rafiki, do what you have to." I responded, trying not to sound too pushy to the mjuzi, though it was fair to say I wasn't doing a great job of it.
Once more, his hand came out to stop me for a bit, a smile on his face as he tried to remain even when it seemed like everyone else around him was doing the exact opposite, "Shwari, be calm. To make de wound die down, I always choose mshubiri." He started smiling more when he said the last word, as if it would bring a revelation. In truth, I didn't know what he meant by it though. Mshubiri could have been anything. I was fortunate that the old mandrill clocked onto my confusion, "I show you." He nodded, stepping away from Kiburi, "Tishala, make sure his breathing stays de same." I nodded and stepped in close to monitor the fallen lion. Just after I agreed, Rafiki disappeared, which I assumed meant he was going to fetch whatever mshubiri was.
A couple of moments passed in silence, Nguvu and I looking down at his son. It was like the richness to his fur had already degraded, further amplifying how sick he looked. "Tishala, I don't think I've ever seen your knowledge for healing before. Did we ever discuss it?" He asked, his defensive tone dropped from earlier, the discussion between Rafiki and I having caught his attention.
For a second I frowned in thought, trying to pick out any memories where I might have spoken to the king about my passion for healing others. "We may have done, but I can't recall a specific moment. Sorry." I didn't know why I said sorry but felt like I should have in that moment. "I was learning how to help and treat others before I came to the Pridelands." I explained, feeling my ears fall back as I allowed myself a moment to think of the life I no longer had. It wasn't often my thoughts would go there, either because I felt too preoccupied, or because somewhere in my mind, I was scared to think of those times again. It wasn't like I had anyone to discuss it with either, so those thoughts stayed out.
Seeing my expression shift, Nguvu responded, "If it is something connected to your past that far back then I can understand why wouldn't bring it up with us. It isn't often to find a lion who learns more than very basic treatments. I'm guessing it was common in your family's pride. It would have been good to meet a pride like that. I've only met one like it, and wish I had the foresight to see what was going to happen to them before it did." He sighed, his own mood going down as well, "I apologise, I shouldn't talk about that, when I'm sure your own pride was very different." Nguvu nodded.
Hearing what he said, I decided I couldn't let him feel bad, "You don't need to apologise. I feel like they're still here with me sometimes. I know that they all support me, wherever they are now. It's just difficult for a pride that devotes their time to healing to learn how to defend themselves at quite the same level. I don't think there was much more they could have done. I got away, which was what they wanted." Letting out another sigh, I felt the king press against me, giving a form of comfort just in his presence there. "They wouldn't want me to get upset every time someone mentions something about my pride." I looked up to Nguvu with a growing smile, "We will treat him. He will get better." Both of us went back to looking at Kiburi. "Keep an eye on him." I instructed as I left their sides, heading to the edge where I saw Fikiria sitting, looking at the ground as there wasn't much else for him to do.
The younger prince turned to look at me, ears perking as I approached, "How is he doing? How did this even happen? I knew he got bitten, but he just told me they only got their teeth in, and they didn't actually bite down." He explained, frowning as he waited for an explanation from me.
"He's breathing faster than he should be, his wound is letting out some discharge, some stuff that shouldn't be there. We think it's an infected wound. Kiburi told you the truth, but it's not so easy to know what was going on. I can't remember everything that happened to me that day." I groaned as I took another step, my body reminding me that I would still need treatment as well. "We can't even be certain that the hyena bite would be the cause of infection. If he kept fighting after he first got the wound, then there could have been something else. I think that it did come from the teeth though. They would have been the perfect transfer point to..." I paused to see the prince was becoming more worried with each word I said. Those perfect teal eyes looking back at me. My heart felt heavy at the sight and I couldn't help but press in to embrace him, the larger lion reciprocating. In a hushed tone, I purred out to him, "We are doing everything we can to help him. We will get him better again." I nestled my head into his mane, keeping my eyes closed as I sought to help him, but at the same time, there was a part of me telling me to stay in that moment. Another part of me was saying I had to get back to look after Kiburi, but the other part pushed those thoughts back. Held in Fikiria's embrace, I pressed against him more, though he pressed back to keep us in balance.
The next thing to happen caught me by surprise. That spark came back. Our spark. Fikiria moved me from his mane and lowered his head a little so that our cheeks could start rubbing together. I didn't stop him, and before I knew it both of us were nuzzling each other. In that moment, we didn't make any sound, just trying to comfort each other. He got bold, his tongue dragging along one of my cheeks before he went back to nuzzling. He did it a second time, the two of us stopping afterwards as our eyes met. We held our gaze at each other for what felt like an age. Without saying anything, we went back to nuzzling, showering each other in affection. He was even licking over my ears, as if I was the one who needed comforting. I knew it would have been bad if we were caught doing this, but in that moment, we both allowed our weakness in the moment to control of us.
As difficult as it was, I managed to get us to stop. However, it wasn't just a case of us stepping away from each other. I rested a paw on top of his, leaning back. He seemed confused as to why we stopped, mouth open ready to speak. Before he could though, I copied him, licking his cheek with one slow motion. Our eyes met again and again, I stopped him from speaking, "I need to go check on your brother." Rather than looking at him like I was scared at what we had just done, I gave him a gentle smile. It was strange, but it didn't panic me, unlike last time. Sensing that, Fikiria returned the look and nodded, allowing me to go back to Nguvu and Kiburi.
The Kifalme king hadn't moved from where he had been sitting before, "Has anything changed with him? Fikiria had some questions but he's doing okay. Just like the rest of us, he's hoping for the best."
He didn't move at first, keeping his eyes on his son, "Nothing has happened. In truth, I don't know if that is a good sign or a bad sign. I just know it's positive that he is still breathing. How much longer will your mjuzi be?" He asked, looking to me with a concerned frown shaping his face.
I curled my lips for a moment as I thought, "He shouldn't be that long. I don't know what he's gone to get, but he wouldn't leave a lion in a condition like Kiburi's for long. Even if I do have some knowledge, he is far better at this kind of thing than I am. I think we have different...methods. Plus, he's been doing it for longer than I have." I assured the lion. As if on cue, Rafiki came back into the area, carrying what he had gone to fetch. Looking at it, I knew what mshubiri was, "Oh, that's what it is? I've always known it as aloe vera. Yeah, that's good. You'll need to mix it into a paste before putting it on his wounds. That'll help a lot." I instructed him, looking at the aloe vera with a smile. Of course, that would have been the anti-inflammatory. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it.
The mandrill looked at me with some amusement, "I am aware of what to do. I have been doing dis for longer than you have been around." As he continued to speak, he gathered a few things that he started using to crush and grind the aloe vera, adding other things until there was a paste, "Dis is used for many wounds. It should fade de red colour of his wounds. It will help de wounds close too." He explained, smacking his hands and rubbing them together after the paste was done. After that, the mandrill dragged the makeshift bowl with the ointment over beside Kiburi's injury. Rafiki sat himself down there as well, assessing the wound again. "No changes?" He asked, looking to me as I confirmed with a shake of my head. "Hmm, we can only hope dat is a good sign." He looked back down at Kiburi.
The Kifalme prince stirred from unconsciousness, his eyes opening at a slow pace. He looked tired, like keeping his eyes open was a struggle. However, that struggle eased when his eyes opened wide and he let out a pained growl. Nguvu and I looked to see that the reason he was reacting in such a way was because Rafiki had started putting the ointment onto the wounds, rubbing them in, which was never going to feel pleasant. Once he had seen what was going on, he calmed as well. With the prince awake, his father leaned in, "Kiburi, how are you feeling?" He asked. I think we all knew the answer, but I couldn't expect anything else from a father like Nguvu.
The fact the prince could respond quicker than before he collapsed in front of us told me it was a good sign. His voice sounded a little weak, but that was to be expected. I imagined he felt worse than I did when I first woke up. "In a way, I'm feeling better than when I fell. Aside from the stinging that came from the mjuzi's work, I feel warmer than normal, but more than anything, I just feel weaker...like I've been carrying a weight on my back for an entire day." He looked to me, his usual expression coming back to his face, "Tishala, how are you feeling? I'm sorry that my own ailment has taken away the concern for your recovery." He spoke, offering an apology for something that didn't need one. The way he spoke about it gave me confidence. If he was thinking straight, that often meant a good chance at recovery. For a while I didn't respond, just thinking of what I was going to say, "Did you hear me?"
His words snapped me into action, "Oh, no don't worry about me. I'm up and walking. I'm not the one falling over and all that. We're all just happy to see you opening your eyes and talking. Sorry about the stinging that stuff has given you. It's got something that will calm down the wound. In fact," I smirked at Rafiki, "I think you and I will be sharing some treatment. You're also going to give Kiburi some losin, right Rafiki?" The mandrill nodded to confirm with me as I looked back at Kifalme's heir, "It's not a bad taste, but you will want something else afterward." I chuckled, "But it does take the pain away, so maybe you'll feel less tired if you have some." My smile returned as I tried to improve the mood.
To my surprise, I saw Rafiki had retrieved some water. I couldn't think to when I saw it, but there it was, sitting beside him. He got to Kiburi's face and lifted his head to the container with water, "You will need to drink. It will help your body feel better." Rafiki insisted, prompting the lion to lap at the liquid, the relief clear on his face as the cool liquid got into his body. Even some of the richness seemed to come back into his fur, reducing the sickly look he had before. "I will need to clean de treatment off and put on a new layer of it before too long. It should start looking cleaner soon." The mandrill informed us, one of his hands gesturing over Kiburi's wounds.
Once Kifalme's heir had finished drinking, he looked to Nguvu and I, "May I ask something of you, Tishala?" I nodded in response, "Why is Fikiria not here with us?" He asked.
Nguvu took the lead with this, "Your brother is just outside, waiting to hear from you. He came as soon as he was told what had happened. We were worried for you, son. He was worried for his brother. He will be happy to hear you speaking again. Tishala was asked to come in with me by the mjuzi because she has been helping treat you as well. Both of them are telling me that you will need plenty of rest to recover as well as whatever treatment you're expected to have." He chuckled when he looked at me. "I will go tell your brother that you are awake, and I'll let him come in and see you, and I'll wait outside." The king insisted, but he was stopped from leaving.
His son spoke up before he could leave, "Father, wait." The fallen lion turned his attention to me for a moment, "If I may, Tishala, I would like to speak with my brother and father, alone." He seemed to be looking for me to agree.
I pondered on my answer for a couple of seconds, "I can go. You seem stable enough. However, I am not going to have just the three of you in here. Our mjuzi still has his job to do. Let him do his job. Of course, that means he will be with you when you speak to your family, but I can vouch that he would keep the contents of your conversation confidential." I assured, seeing Rafiki nod in the corner of my eye. Looking at the two lions in the room with me, I could tell there were going to be no protests.
He let out a little sigh, half a smile on his face, "Of course, your majesty. That is fine." Kiburi replied.
With his answer, I turned to leave, the plan to leave and tell Fikiria on my way back to pride rock. This plan was interrupted before it even started, Rafiki pulling on my tail to grab my attention, though I felt he could have done something other than that, because it wasn't a pleasant feeling. "You are not going until I have given you more losin." He held out a palm with the losin in it. I stared for a couple of seconds, prompting the old mjuzi to push them closer, "Even a queen needs it to heal." He insisted. Rolling my eyes, I scooped the losin onto my tongue, "Make sure to chew." Rafiki reminded me. I did as he instructed, chewing in front of him for a while until I figured he would be satisfied, then swallowing it all. I opened my mouth to prove it to him, though he knew I was overdoing it.
Having done all of that, I turned again, "I'll be heading back to pride rock, so you know where to find me if you need me, okay?" All three of them nodded before I headed outside, nudging Fikiria, bumping my head against his neck, "Your brother is awake and wants to speak with you and your dad. I'll see you back at pride rock." I didn't wait for a response, just walking ahead of him to head back, looking behind to shoot a smile at the prince, finding that he was doing the same for me, our eyes meeting again as I increased the distance between us, only going our separate ways after a few more moments of looking over each other.
Walking back, I couldn't help but worry. Sure, I had seen him wake up, and he did seem in a much better way than when he had collapsed. That didn't mean I wouldn't worry though. He was my friend after all. I just hoped I would be able to continue helping him, but I knew that my new responsibilities as queen were going to start piling up before too long. As Nguvu had said before, there would be a lot for us to do, and Simba and I would be the faces of the task being undertaken. I had the feeling that most attention would be on Simba, although I wouldn't be far behind, considering I found out I was starting to be known for how I ran away from Scar, as his heir, then returning with the real heir. When I had it put to me like that, I could understand why there was a certain amount of hope being seen from us, especially as we were together. The fact our coronation and marriage had been postponed until after we had recovered the lands enough meant that I didn't feel quite so nervous about it. The push back was a small relief. I still needed some time to get used to it. I had spoken to Simba about it, and was thankful when he understood, even if I couldn't give him the whole truth of why I felt so strange about all of this. As I continued padding through, I paid a thought to the future, where I could picture Simba and I meeting with Kiburi, speaking like we were old friends, because at that point in the future, I hoped we would be. When picturing this future, I didn't even think of who else might be there, though I wondered if Fikiria would join his brother, or if he would be left with the kingdom until Kiburi returned. However it was going to be, I felt a little bit of pressure in the back of my head; a thought I was afraid to bring up, except on a few occasions. Though it was getting easier each day.
My head lifted as I caught a scent of something out of the ordinary. At first, I thought it was nothing, but when inhaling again, there was no denying there was a strong scent to take notice of. Feeling alert, I started to follow the scent, diverting from my path back to pride rock. That could wait. A few moments passed and I wondered if this was the best idea. I wasn't in the best shape myself, and so wandering towards and unidentified scent when I was still injured may not have been the smartest move. However, my curiosity was dictating my action. I hobbled closer and raised a brow as I saw nothing around, yet the scent was stronger. I couldn't have been too far. Searching around the area, I was left confused, there was no one around that I could see. With careful steps, I ventured forwards. There was a bad feeling growing in the pit of my stomach, telling me I should return with some help. At the same time, I didn't know if the scent would remain when I came back, so it wasn't a risk I was willing to take, which was ironic, considering the risk I was putting myself in. Taking in the scent again, I realised why it had caught my attention. It was familiar to me, although I couldn't remember why. My senses peaked at the sight of something move behind an outcrop of rocks. Feeling a rush from that, I sprinted over as best I could, considering the injuries I was nursing. Once I approached the rocks, I took in their size. They were larger than an elephant in height it seemed, and they stretched out about fifteen metres along. I knew that the other side of those rocks, something was there. I could smell it, and it matched the scent I had been following. With a few more steps, I would be solving the mystery. I readied myself, taking a deep breath, letting my claws out in case I needed to defend myself.
Rounding the corner with tentative steps, I made sure to peer round the corner. I still couldn't see anything though. My ears perked at hearing some more movement where I couldn't see them. I lowered my head to try and sneak forward, staying as silent as possible. The further I went around, the more I got to see. What I didn't expect to see was a slight downward slope, revealing a small cave on the other side of the rocks. It wasn't too dark for me to see, and although the cave was shallow, another path led around a corner, deeper into the ground. Standing at the top of the slope, I took a look at the rocks that had concealed the sight of this cave. My curiosity toward the scent only grew once I was closer to finding out. Edging down towards the scent, I got more than a clue. I saw a hyena peer around the corner. I didn't recognise them, but the moment our eyes met, I saw them freeze up for a second, disappearing a moment later. Seeing a hyena made me frown. I didn't want anymore trouble from a hyena. In that moment, I made the decision to confront it, hoping to chase it away.
Before I could even get to the corner though, two hyenas jumped around, growling as they made their way towards me. I retaliated by letting out my own growl, my lips curling to the point where I was showing off my teeth, my instincts helping me show that warning to my new attackers. However, before we could start fighting, one of them spoke up, taking me out of my battle-ready pose. "Banzai, wait, it's her." I looked to the other hyena, who stopped his own growling. The two I had been confronted by were Shenzi and Banzai. It was the first time I had seen them since Scar had been defeated. The stern expression on Shenzi's face dropped a little bit, though it was clear she would still be defensive for the moment, "What do you want with us? Haven't you done enough to us yet? You just gotta make sure we know you don't want us?" She asked, sneering her questions at me.
Stepping with a small limp towards her, my expression softened. I shook my head, "No. I only came here because I caught scent of you. I just followed it here. I didn't know it was hyenas until I saw one of them looking back at me." I explained, stepping in between them, though I didn't dare go round the corner, not knowing how the two hyenas would react to me doing that in their presence. "How many of you are here?" I turned to look at Banzai, then to Shenzi. I took a few steps back, sitting down in front of them. I watched as the two exchanged glances at each other, deciding if they should say.
Keeping a rather defensive stance, Shenzi answered, her eyes still somewhat narrowed towards me, "There's some of us, but not that many. Thanks to what you lions did, you won't have to worry about us being a problem. We'll just go back to living off scraps, so just leave us." She huffed at me, Banzai mimicking her anger towards me. Despite their anger though, they didn't look like they were going to strike me, or even make an attempt to. "Now that you found us, maybe you could be kind enough to leave us alone. Not like this many hyenas could be an issue to the Pridelands anyway." She growled, starting to turn around.
Hearing her response, I felt the need to defend what we had done, "Shenzi, that's not fair. You know that Scar wasn't the true king. You should have stopped your hyenas from doing any of the fighting the moment you saw Simba. What we did was the only way to get the Pridelands back to how it should be. I'm sorry that disadvantages you, but you had to have seen that things were getting worse in the Pridelands. You and I both know that Scar didn't really have your interests in mind either. Eventually..."
I wasn't able to finish what I was saying, the hyena matriarch interrupting me to speak, "Eventually we would have just been starving again. Do you think I haven't been told that before? Sure I have. I heard it from Sarabi, the bird...even the monkey told me one time. They just don't get it though. Never in any of our lives had we been able to eat like we had in that time. I just wanted to make sure that every single one of my hyenas was happy. They were. That doesn't matter to you lions though. As long as the hyenas are sitting at the bottom, just taking scraps, everything is fine. Anytime that we have so much as a sniff at the good stuff, you make out like we're ending the world. I'd like to see any lion go through what we've had to go through. As long as my hyenas were happy, I was going to keep things the way they were. So, don't ever tell me what would have happened. No one knows. Even a lion can't look into the future." She snarled in my direction, making sure to keep me on edge.
My ears fell back as I realised, I hadn't thought of everything from their perspective, "Sorry. I won't tell you what I think would have happened. That's not important now. What I do want to know is why you are here. If I were you, I wouldn't be in the Pridelands, especially after what happened at pride rock. I'm confused as to what you're thinking. This isn't the safest place for you or your hyenas."
Shenzi looked away from me, her eyes cast to the ground, her own ears falling back, as if she was too scared to tell me what was going on. Banzai stepped up though, answering with a sigh, "Shenzi, we may as well tell her anyway. What difference is it gonna make?" His eyes went to me, expression shifting to a more gruff one, "At first, when we were running away and gathering everyone, we wanted to go back to our home before Scar became king. We wanted to go back to the elephant graveyard. We only didn't because Shenzi reminded us that going back there would be more dangerous. Y'see, when Scar was king, yeah, we were his army, and so we had a sort of protection with him because he was king. That was great at first, though we didn't really need it. I'm sure you can remember that part as well." He offered a smile, though we both knew it wasn't a positive memory for me, "Anyway, not long after you ran away, Scar was real mad for a little bit. That was until these lionesses from another place came along. They were sorta different to the other lionesses. They actually liked him and listened to what he said. At first, we thought it was great, because then more lions would help us. It turned out these ones didn't like us at all. Their hunt leader, Zira, she really didn't like us. After a while, we knew the only reason they hadn't attacked us was because of Scar." He explained, Shenzi listening.
She spoke up, "Even though we had some protection from Scar, there were a few curious accidents involving some hyenas. Zira was making it pretty clear to the hyenas that she wanted us out of the Pridelands. The way she looked at us, I could tell she would be the kind of lioness that wouldn't hold back if we got the chance. We made sure that our kind stuck together more often, but it didn't stop the hyena gone missing here, or the other tragic accident there. It wasn't like we could tell Scar though, because she was almost always with him. It didn't help that I could tell he even kinda liked them." She sighed again, thinking of the victims she had alluded to, "I knew that the moment Zira and her lionesses had found out about Scar's loss, we would be the target of their anger. Scar isn't there to protect us anymore." Shenzi explained, her hurt expression holding in place as she thought of her hyena's lives. "We've been hiding here ever since, because why would she look around the Pridelands when she knows where we come from? There aren't many of us here, because some of them wanted to go back home. I'm sure Zira and her lionesses would have found them if they got back there."
"I see. I haven't actually met any f those lionesses yet." I commented, frowning in thought. Though just a short time ago, I was happy to fight and defeat hyenas, seeing them like that, and hearing what they had been through, I felt a small amount of sympathy for them. I was yet to meet Zira, but she already seemed like someone I would be clashing with on a regular basis. If she was loyal to Scar, then his downfall would not be taken well. I was interested to see how she would respond to me. I pushed that meeting out of my mind as I looked between the two leading hyenas, "If you can promise to keep yourselves hidden, then I won't tell anyone about you. Uhm, I'm sorry, but you will have to be very selective with food. Absolute minimum. You take any more than you need to, then you'll be found out. Even if you don't there's still a chance you'll be spotted." I paused, hoping they wouldn't argue with this, still in disbelief I was even considering this, "If you can do that, then I will see if I can talk to Simba about your situation, and then we can try and make sure you get back to your home without fearing for your lives." I offered, hoping they would take this. There were no guarantees, but it was the best I could offer them. Feeling that they were comfortable with me around, I chanced a few steps past them and saw about a dozen hyenas snoozing in the dead end the path led to. At least they were out of sight there. Getting back to Shenzi and Banzai, I added, "Where's your third wheel?" Straight away, it was like I hit them with a hammer. They looked at each other, the sadness in their faces showing as Shenzi had to hold back tears, both of them feeling the raw emotion. It didn't take me long to work out why they were saddened by the question, "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that...I hope he didn't suffer. Really, I am." I bowed my head in a slow nod of respect towards them and their fallen friend. "I know it's not desirable compared to what you had at the start with Scar, but if you help me with it, I will help you get back to the life you had before Scar. At least you won't have to worry about Zira if we can do that." I tried to encourage, but knew it was hard considering the circumstances.
Letting out another sigh, Shenzi composed herself some, returning to a tone and energy she had before, "I know we've had our differences, and haven't always gotten along, but if you could do that, I'm sure that we would take it. It's better than hiding here all the time." She frowned at me, though not in a way that suggested she was angry with me, "I just feel that you might be underestimating how much every other lion would be happy to see us go the same way as Scar. As much as we would like your help...uh...how do I put this? What makes you think that you can get this done? The new king won't understand why you want to help out the same hyenas that tried to kill him." She reasoned.
For some reason, I let out a laugh, though controlled it in front of the two of them, seeing their confused reaction. The moment I was asked the question, I'd felt like something had hit me. For the first time, it was something I was going to own. Puffing out my chest some, I smirked at the two hyenas, "It might not be an easy task, but trust me, I can get this done. Why? Because I'm the queen."
The lions from both prides were still socialising on or around pride rock, which made me happy. There was at least some semblance of peace for me to appreciate. I was still walking with a little limp, but I could tell the pain relief Rafiki gave me was taking effect, and it wouldn't be much longer before I would be walking normally and back at full strength again. I headed towards some of them to ask where Simba and Sarabi were. However, I stopped in my tracks when I noticed another group were looking at me. Out the corner of my eye, I could tell they were glaring my way. I changed course, looking towards the group of intense lionesses. At the head of their formation, I saw a full-grown lioness, her red eyes set on me. It didn't take me long to work out who this was. Zira. I could tell from the way she was looking to me, she didn't like me. I was something awful that had gotten in her way. I didn't buckle though, instead walking taller as I got closer, the group making their way towards me where we met in the middle. The lead lioness was larger than me, but I refused to show any signs of being intimidated. The two of us sized each other up, whilst the other lionesses with her also looked me over, assessing every aspect of me to see if there was a reason to be worried, though they followed their leader and kept a fierce demeanour in front of me. To my surprise, the leader bowed her head, her subordinates following suit, "Your majesty." She drawled out, her words coming across as bitter, plenty of scorn to them. She may have addressed me as a queen, but it was clear she wasn't going to view me as one. Part of me wanted to sigh that there would be yet another obstacle for me to overcome. I didn't respond, other than a gesture that Zira could tell the others to stop bowing. "We hadn't seen you the entire time we have been under our new king and queen's rule. We thought perhaps you might be too weak." She gave a wicked grin, as if the insult would cut deep. "I am curious though." She mused as she circled me, the whole time my head turning to keep an eye on her, "Curious as to why our former king might have selected you to be his heir. From what I can see, there doesn't appear to be anything special. You're not an exceptional size, and from what I can gather, there is no surprising strength. Our former king struck me as being fond of strong lionesses, so why would he have selected someone so...average? I suppose every king is allowed to make a mistake. It must have been disappointing to him that you weren't strong enough to stay. He told us how you left."
Her words were rubbing me up the wrong way, getting a small growl in frustration in response to the lioness's statement, "Zira. I am glad to meet you, at last. You shouldn't have shown so much concern for me. I am sure you have more important things to do." I nodded, feigning the composure I wanted to let go of just to lash out at her. However, I knew with all her lionesses around and my injured state, I wouldn't get anything achieved through violence, "I am touched that you care so much for your new queen." I smirked, satisfied to see a small amount of anger show from her. "You're quite right to be confused as to what Scar was able to see in me. Perhaps he saw potential in me that no one else had. I can't know for sure, but at least he was right in saying I would be queen. Just not how he expected."
It didn't take long for me to find some amusement in speaking to Zira like this, but I knew I had to be careful, even if the other lions and lionesses were watching the interaction. I could tell from their intrigue that word had spread about these lionesses in particular. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we will get to see what made you special enough in his eyes. Since you were gone though, you may be interested to know that the former king and I had plans to give him a new heir. The new heir would have brought through an even greater age of glory." She seemed as if she was going to add to her point, though she had to stop speaking, quelling her seething anger. A few moments later she did compose herself to continue, "Now, for better or worse, the plans have changed, and we will adapt to the new kingdom." She and her lionesses bowed again, though I wasn't to be fooled; I knew she was only saying that to win my favour for the moment. In the same way I couldn't attack her, she wouldn't be able to do the same to me and get away with it. Not with all the others that were watching on. "It would be short-sighted idiocy to overthrow a king and not have a plan for what came next."
I nodded in response, "You're right. It would have been stupid. However, king Simba and I do have a plan to see through. I can assure you, the glory you thought you saw in Scar's kingdom will pale in comparison to what we have planned. We are going back to respecting the circle of life. We hope before too long that we will have everything in balance again, and these lands will be like they were when king Mufasa reigned. If you don't know what that's like, I suggest you ask other Pridelands lionesses, because I am sure they will work hard to make that happen. Zira," I smiled at her, getting in front of her once again, "I hope you will do your part in this new kingdom to help restore the Pridelands to the way they should be. If we want to get there faster, then we will need everyone's help. Nothing would make me happier as queen, if you did your part. I'm sure there was a good reason our king has allowed you to stay, even if you were allied to Scar. If my Simba thinks you're to be trusted, then I won't argue with him." I knew I was being a little dangerous, but I still shot her a wink.
She didn't like the way I spoke to her. The fact she already made up her mind she didn't like me meant that a part of me was going to use that against her. I knew in front of an audience, she would have to be civil with me, though another part of me worried what might happen if I were ever to be alone with her, "From what I have been informed, neither you or Simba have been coronated, so that must mean neither of you are king nor queen yet. The pair of you are just leading figures for now." She stepped closer, her teeth baring a little bit, "So, I would recommend you don't sass me. We will do what we have to do, but we will not do anything that is meaningless. If you were anything like the former king, then you would know what the meaningless is, but it seems you are blind to it, focusing on the things that don't need attention. You look after lions, but it looks to me like you're looking out for other animals before. These plans that you and the Kifalme king have come up with, where you retrieve herds. It looks to me like your concern is with them more than it is with your own kind. You are a lion, aren't you?" She asked, growling at me. She didn't realise how much harder that question hit me. Someone asking if I was a lion, when I wasn't one from birth at least.
With my worries pushed to one side, I frowned at her, my eyes narrowing, though I didn't go any further than that, "It's not a matter of not prioritising the lives of lions. We can't survive if there are just lions in the Pridelands. Unless you intend for us to go to extremes. You're right, I am not queen yet. However, as acting queen, it is my responsibility to also ensure the other animals in the kingdom are also living well. If this isn't done, then...well, this happens." I gestured to the land around, which although healing, still had clear signs of damage. "Leaving out the circle of life will only lead to the Pridelands suffering. As strange as it may sound to you, the overall balance of the circle must be protected. Even if I see those who don't respect the circle of life, as acting queen, and indeed when I am queen, I will still respect their place in the circle as well. Is that clear to you, Zira, or do I need to explain it again?" I raised a brow, our intense stare leaving everyone out of our sights.
I spotted a few little twitches on her face, telling me just how mad she was getting with me, "It might not be me who isn't understanding the importance of something. The longer you treat our prey as equals, the more chance they will stop fearing you. Once they do that, then our kind will be the only ones suffering, because we're unable to eat. How will your subjects feel when that's the case? By the time that happens though, we will have moved on. If I see the kingdom start to falter because you placed too much trust in our prey, then I will be the first to leave." She stated, her anger clear. "Though I'm not holding my breath for our new rulers. I wouldn't expect usurpers to know how to rule."
She struck a chord with me. I couldn't help but raise my voice at her, growling a little. I couldn't see it, but I could feel the extra presence of some Pridelands lionesses getting behind me. "Usurpers? Simba and I aren't usurpers. Maybe I could be, but Simba is not. He's the true king. Scar only got to be king because he was responsible for Mufasa's death and tried to kill Simba. I know you're from the Kokosa kingdom, but I'm sure even they would tell you that Scar was the usurper, not the rightful king. Your new rulers have a better idea of how to make a kingdom prosper than Scar ever did." I sighed, calming down a little, "Zira, I will try to be civil in the hopes that you can respect the way Simba and I rule the kingdom. However, that doesn't mean either of us will tolerate disrespect to the way things will be. I hope it won't come to that though. For now, I treat you with as much respect as I treat everyone else."
I could feel her eyes burning into me, just hoping I would buckle or snap at her. As close as I came to it, I didn't let my emotions overcome me, even when defending Simba's place in the pride. A thought of mine passed over what Zira had said about respecting elders. My only experience with other Kokosa lions was through Fedha, and he didn't strike me as one to respect his elders, so that point was moot. I didn't know how, but I could sense that Zira and her lionesses were about to leave the confrontation, so I took the opportunity to assert myself further, "Okay, thank you for speaking with me. You may leave. I will see you again Zira." I smiled at her again as she started to leave, "Make sure if you're hunting, you only hunt what we need." I warned, our eyes sharing one last intense gaze. I wasn't sure if she could work out that I was hinting that I knew about the hyenas she would have been looking for. Regardless, she left with her group, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief, dropping my head some, "Oh that was so scary." I muttered out before turning to the lionesses and lions who had backed me up, looking as upbeat as my tired body would allow, "So, which one of you can tell me where the king and his mother are?" I grinned.
I joined Simba and Sarabi in the den, being greeted by the elder with a nuzzle as she spoke, "My dear, it's good to see you back. How is prince Kiburi now?" Her voice turned to concern quickly when she mentioned the hurt prince. "Is he waking up?" She added.
"Yeah, Kiburi is awake. That's why I'm here. He wanted to speak with his father and brother. Rafiki is still with him though, so we know that he'll be looked after the whole time. He looks a lot better than when he was on pride rock with us. Once Rafiki gave him some treatment, he was hurting a bit, but much more awake than earlier. I think, at least for now, he's okay. He should have gotten help sooner." I couldn't help but comment, rolling my eyes as Sarabi just gave a knowing smile.
The older lioness let out a small chuckle, "I'm afraid that is a trait for most young males. They always seem to thin they can get along without help. As serious as the prince is, even he acts like that. It would have been more amusing if it wasn't worrying or us to see, of course. Still, it's good to hear he's okay and that he is spending time with his family. I'm sure that's what those three needed." She nodded.
My brow raised at her comment, "What do you mean they needed it? They've always been together."
Sarabi just looked at me with a calm smile, "They've always been with each other, yes. However, they won't have spent time together as a family since you and Simba arrived, or around that time at the very least. That's not to say they would resent you. I think you can see that's not the case. Now that things are getting back to the way they were before Scar's reign, it gives them a chance to remember that they are family. I can only imagine that Kiburi sensed that the moment was right, perhaps allowing his brother and father to see him in a vulnerable way, to show he can trust them with anything. For a young lion, he has a mature mind. He will be a good king when his time comes." She let out a soft chuckle. "He is very much like his father. When we first saw him, I could see that, but I can tell that it wasn't an isolated incident that day. It makes me happy to see that Nguvu is a good father to his children. You can see it in the way they act. Prince Fikiria is admirable as well. I haven't had the chance to know his young daughter all too well, but I can picture she is also on her way to becoming a respected, valued lioness in her pride." Her smile looked a little sad as she continued though, "Hearing about how well Kiburi and Fikiria worked together took me back. I think about it now, and I wish there were a way for Mufasa and Scar to have the same relationship. Of course, when they were younger, it wasn't as bad, but it was rare to see them act as brothers to each other. Mufasa tried his best, but it was difficult when Scar was always being rather standoffish with him. It makes me think what could have been if there was no animosity." She shook her head to get away from the negative feelings, "Regardless, we are all here. Whilst the Kifalme royalty spend time as a family, our family is together as well." Simba approached as she said that, closing the distance between us until there was none, the new king showering me with affectionate nuzzles.
I wasn't the type to be denying him either, so I returned the affection, the two of us taking a moment to look into each other's eyes. Once again, I felt calmer when he was holding to me like that. I couldn't describe it, but I felt safer with one of his paws on top of mine, "I am grateful to be a part of this family, but I have to ask. Sarabi, wasn't Simba meant to be with Nala, through their betrothal?" I questioned.
Simba's mother didn't flinch though, holding her jolly expression. "That is true. Nala and Simba were betrothed to each other at a young age. They didn't even know about it. It was fortunate that they got along as friends to begin with. Seeing them together reminded Sarafina and I of when Mufasa and I were around their age. If Simba had come back to us, then the betrothal would still go ahead. As it is though, he didn't come back alone. He came back with you." She let out another soft chuckle, nuzzling both Simba and I, "Betrothals are put in place, but I know even as much as my Mufasa did like to honour his word, he wouldn't stand in the way of love. After what you two have been through together, and you still hold this love, it wouldn't be fair to take that away because of an agreement made under different circumstances. Maybe if none of this ever happened, and Mufasa was still here, then Simba and Nala may have fallen for each other. They spent so long apart, it's almost like they're meeting a new lion." The older lioness showed her amusement at the thought of it. "I assume you asked that question because you're worried what some other might think. One thing is for sure, Tishala, I am so happy to welcome you into the family. I couldn't be happier to see you as Simba's queen. Having looked after you both at some point, I can feel myself filling with pride."
The lion holding me close started laughing, "It's kinda funny to think we're actually going to be king and queen. We are...just not by name yet. I remember dreaming about being king when I was younger, but now it's happened, I don't know what all my excitement was over. I guess I never had much understanding for what I was gonna have to do." He gave me a little squeeze, "At least I got one thing right so far. I have the best queen to be with me." He looked down at me with a smirk.
Sarabi and I rolled our eyes at him, though I also gave him a small lick to his cheek, "Yes, Simba, you didn't have much of a clue of what being a king was going to entail. It was your father's role to tell you the duties of a king. I will make sure to guide you how your father would have wanted you to rule. Tishala and I will have our own lessons too." She shot me a little wink, "And don't think I won't know everything your father would have told you. Who do you think he told everything?" She held her confident expression to Simba, making him raise a brow, as if to challenge that. He lost. "I have no doubt that once you two are coronated, you will bring in a new generation of peace in the Pridelands. As well as a new generation." My eyes widened as I realised, I had been caught in a trap. Both Simba and Sarabi were smirking at me, knowing how that particular topic made me feel sometimes.
The new king almost couldn't stop his laughing, looking as if he was going to fall onto the floor, gasping for air. I frowned at him, prompting my partner to straighten up some, though still not holding back all his giggling. "Oh no, you've set her off, mum. You've scared her!" He couldn't contain himself, bouncing back and forth as he saw my face go red, feeling the heat from it all rushing to my head. "Though actually, it wasn't that long ago that she and I did have a t-"
I cut him off, still red in the face, my voice sounding blunt, "Simba if you tell her then I will stop loving you." I threatened, though he could tell it was empty, hence, he continued to smirk at me. At the same time, Sarabi was watching us with more than a little amusement. It was like she had seen this kind fo thing before somewhere. My ears fell back as I gave Simba a defeated frown, huffing at him before I looked at his mother, "Okay, so when we were in Kifalme, one night, not long before we left for here, Simba and I had a tiny little discussion about our future and what that means for...well, the kingdom's future." I felt my face staying red hot with embarrassment as I talked about it to Sarabi.
"Tiny? Tishala, you told me how many cubs you'd want in the future. You even talked about if you wanted a boy or a girl." He interjected, smirking still.
"SIMBA!" I shouted at him, making both him and his mother laugh.
Sarabi stopped her laughter, though wore the same smirk her son had, "If this is true, then it is very different from the little lioness I used to spend a lot of time with."
"Sarabi..." I groaned, wishing she would have jumped to my defence, "Fine...I did talk that much about it. It still scares me though!" I laid down, huffing again, as if to show my disapproval of Simba.
The older lioness laid down in front of me, her son laying beside as they both peered at me, "Then lets all have this tiny little discussion, shall we? I'm curious, and maybe it'll make you less scared." She offered, and for all purposes, I couldn't find an argument to counter it, so I started. Spending time with my new family.
The three of us stayed talking until close to sunset. In truth, it did make me feel more comfortable with the idea of being in their family, and even starting to expand that family. By the end of it, Simba had shifted until he was pressed at my side, making sure I was comfortable, but also because he would whisper some things into my ear. They were either little jokes on the subject, or he would whisper sweet words to me, which I think played no small part in my gradual acceptance and even slight excitement towards the day. It didn't mean all my hesitation was gone, but I was more relaxed than even the time when Simba and I talked about it previously. There was no worry anymore.
Around the time sunset was starting to fall, I was informed that Rafiki wanted me to go back to his tree. At first, I feared the worst, that Kiburi had taken a turn for the worse. After being excused by Simba and Sarabi, I made my leave, sprinting as fast as I could to Rafiki's. Of course, whilst dashing across the Pridelands, my own body was reminding me that it may need some pain relief, though compared to what it had been the previous day, it felt minimal. The information I had been given played in my head on repeat. Rafiki asked for me because he needed assistance, so I could only assume that it was nothing to be happy over. My legs begged for me to slow down, but I didn't slow my pace until I was close, trotting up to the tree.
"Rafiki." I called from outside the tree. From below, the first thing I saw was the mandrill poking his head over the edge, a carefree smile on his face. This was followed, in almost comical timing by the faces of Fikiria and Nguvu getting either side of the mjuzi's. "You called for me, is something wrong?"
He could see I was panting from the exertion of getting there. "No. Nothing is wrong. Why did you run? Your body is not ready for dis much running. You need rest. Come, come!" He gestured for me to join them inside, even though he insisted there wouldn't be enough room earlier in the day. I got inside and raised a brow, as if asking why he called for me when there wasn't any reason for concern. "Ol' Rafiki needs to rest as well. You take care of de prince. I will return later." With those few statements, he didn't say any more, instead finishing by shoving some losin into my mouth, prompting me to chew and consume the pain relief. "Do not worry. De prince is in good spirit and well." He laughed, grabbing his staff before exiting, going off to wherever he planned to get his rest.
After that scene, Fikiria, Nguvu and I looked out to see him running off, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to his behaviour. I don't care what anyone says." I commented, prompting the other two lions to chuckle, Fikiria even giving me a playful nudge.
The young prince chortled, "He is odd. He's a very good healer though. So, I say you let him be as weird as he wants. If he keeps doing what he's doing, then you won't have to worry if you get sick in your new kingdom." He shot me a wink, making my heart flutter a little as I smiled at him, lost in those eyes for just a moment more than I would care to admit to anyone.
His father started, "Yes. I have never met anyone quite like him, but he is exceptional at what he does." He chuckled out before looking to his youngest son, "Come, Fikiria, we should go back to pride rock; give Kiburi a chance to rest up. We will see him tomorrow." Both of them looked to the crown prince, who hadn't been acknowledged since I arrived, though he didn't seem to mind too much, nodding his relatives a goodbye, a calm smile on his face.
Once they were out of Rafiki's, I called out to them, "See you tomorrow!" Getting an acknowledgement from both lions. With that, I was satisfied enough to turn around, a small smirk growing, "So, Kiburi, how was your day after I left?" I grinned, padding over to him, laying down beside the lion. "How was family time?" I spoke in a somewhat teasing tone, forcing the lion to sigh at me.
"If you must know, I had a great time with my brother and father. They wanted to know if I was feeling better. We talked about how the battle went. Of course, we had done that before, but I can see how much it lifts my dad's mood when he hears of how Fikiria and I worked together. I needed to talk about it, because I wanted to see them smile. I don't like it when others are feeling sad about me, so I changed it." He gave a small shrug after explaining it.
What he told me brought a soft smile to my face, "Aww, that's actually very sweet of you. I suspect your father knew what you're doing. Your brother maybe not, because, well...I'm not gonna say he's dumb, but..." I smirked again, both of us chuckling. I could tell that Kiburi was recovering well, even having the strength to throw a playful swat of his paw at me as I made the joke about his brother.
The crown prince started to form his own smirk, "You can call him dumb all you want, but you're still the one who likes him. Don't forget that." He let out another round of laughter, this time at my expense. I was in too good a mood to not join in with him, seeing the truth in what he said. After we calmed down a little, he reverted back to the first topic, "Another thing that makes them happy is when we talk about home. As much as we do like helping you, we all look forward to going home. No doubt my parents miss each other. We also have a little sister to set a good example for." I could see the pride in his eyes when he talked about his family. He looked so different to me now that I had gotten through the stern exterior he presented at first. Now I could see how caring he was too. "We wonder how it will feel to live there like we used to. I'll have my lessons with my father. I wonder if Fikiria will remain as carefree, or if he will start taking on more duties. I am impressed with my little brother; he showed he can take the lead in serious situations. How couldn't I be proud?" He beamed, letting me see a genuine happiness from him. I nodded in response, happy to let him continue, "Another thing that made them happy when we talked was you." I was caught a little off guard at that, raising a brow at the prince, "It is impressive just how many others you seem to have had an impact on. I can't understand why," he winked at me, "but you seem to make others smile even at the mention of your name. To my father, it's like you were sort of a daughter to him. And although you have shown me you can be rather petulant and immature at the start; I now see what he sees in you."
Trying to play off his words, I shook my head and snickered, "Wow, how woozy has the losin made you?" I giggled.
Once again, he rolled his eyes at me, "You're also a bit strange, never mind your mjuzi. Anyway, the point I was trying to make, Tishala, was that I think that when I look at you now and see how others react, I think you and Simba will go down as legendary rulers of the Pridelands." Again, I raised a brow at him as if he was going delirious, "Think about it. You two will be remembered as the two who brought an end to a tyrannical rule and restoring the Pridelands to the jewel that it is."
I put a paw against his forehead and looked at him as if I was concerned, "Are you sure you're okay?" My concerned expression started to shift away from something serious to one where I was holding back any giggles I might have had, "I only ask because you're sounding soppy. Where's the grumpy Kiburi that I know?" I grinned, seeing the lion was looking at me in his trademark frown, "Oh come on, humour me. I really do appreciate what you're saying, but I don't think I'll ever consider myself a legendary ruler. I don't think I could get comfortable with others calling me that either."
"You might not get the choice." He replied, shifting a little, "You and Simba had better get the Pridelands back to a good state. I look forward to when I am a visiting king in the future. I expect to see this place flourishing. So far, I've visited, and it hasn't lived up to the high praise everyone seems to talk about it with." Though there was no change from his expression, I could tell he was teasing. "I can't wait for that day to come. I have no doubt I will enjoy the whole experience. If it lives up to the praise, then I'll get to see one of the most diverse kingdoms. I look forward to it most of all though, because I will be able to spend some peaceful time with a good friend of mine. Just think about it. You and I, king and queen of our respective prides. You'll be with Simba, and I will have my queen. I look forward to what that future will be like." He smiled at me, then letting out a small yawn.
His yawn caused me to follow up with my own, "I think that future will be good. You know I always like spending time with you. I kinda can't wait for the time when Simba and I come to visit you. Kifalme lands are really pretty as well. After what I went through, and how amazing everyone was to Simba and me, I consider it another home...Oh! That reminds me, at some point, I may need some lions to escort Timon and Pumbaa to the Pridelands. It'd probably make sense if you did that when everyone was arriving for the coronation."
"Don't worry, that was the exact plan my father had in mind. They will get to the Pridelands to see both of you in time for that. I can promise you that." He let out another yawn.
After I yawned again, I nudged at him, "Okay, good. Now, I think we both need some good sleep...but if you wake up and want to talk, then wake me up. I won't complain this time." I chuckled. Rather than respond, the lion just gave me a half smile before laying his head down and closing his eyes. I did the same, though I was smiling more than him. That wasn't uncommon though, "Sleep well, Kiburi." I said to him, though it didn't take long before I could feel my consciousness drifting away, leading me to a deep sleep.
A/N: Well, there's another one for you folks! A second one of the month, if you can believe it! I don't own Lion King, that's all Disney property. If you're feeling plenty generous, then I'd love to see a review or two for this, because I really do enjoy what you guys think of it, and if you have any thoughts on where it might be heading. I get some messages from some of you, which I also appreciate! So, please review! Until next time, see ya!