Simba eyed Kazumi curiously, and narrowed his eyes.
"You have been to the Sacred Land of Kings?" Simba asked amazed.
"I wouldn't say 'been there.' I have seen it however."
"You speak the truth?" Simba asked eagerly.
Kazumi nodded his dark-maned head. "You have many moons left to travel. But if you travel right, your search will not be in vain. The sun spills over the valleys, and sparkles like drops of rain water. The grass is green and full, and the flowers smell sweet and delicate. The sky is blue as hornbill feathers, and an ancient rock looms in the middle of it all. The elders referred to it a Valley Rock. It is virgin land, untouched and sacred. It always felt like it was reserved for another."
"How do you know all this if you've never been there?" Simba questioned.
Kazumi pushed back a strand of his mane that fell in his face. "A shaman I once knew pointed me towards the sun. He sprinkled acacia leaves and dandelion fluffs into the air, and when it reached the middle of the sun, it could be seen clear as the sky! He showed it to me because he told me I was destined to help another reach it. I went myself, but when I tried to enter, some invisible force blocked my entrance like a boulder in my path. A long road lead into it."
The lionesses mumbled quickly among each other as quickly as a stream.
"Will you lead us there?" Sarabi asked. "Finding this land is our only hope for survival. Our home is in ruins."
Kazumi smiled at the elder lioness, his mane draping over his now sparkling onyx eyes.
"It would be my pleasure," he said bowing.
Night fell, and a cold breeze ruffled Simba's shaggy mane. He opened his sleepy eyes as the breeze brushed past his muzzle. He looked into the cold, night sky, and sighed. How he missed his father. Just then, another breeze engulfed the young lion, but this time, it felt warm and comforting. It ruffled through his mane and breezed against the rest of his fur, before blowing into the sky. Simba followed it, and saw the beloved image of Mufasa smiling down upon him in the light of the full moon. A tear trickled down his muzzle, and he closed his eyes and nodded his head.
"Goodnight Father."
Simba arose the next morning to find Kazumi lapping up water in a small stream near by. He trotted over and bid good morning to the rogue lion.
"Good morning to you too Your Highness," he said bowing. "How'd you sleep?"
Simba walked through the memory of seeing his father during the night and smiled. "Pretty good actually," he replied after a short pause. "Do we plan to depart soon?"
"Absolutely," Kazumi replied. "Whenever your Pride is ready."
"As soon as they're all awake I'll alert them," Simba replied. "It's best to leave as soon as possible."
"A wise decision," Kazumi stated. "We're still bordering Urukai's lands, and it's best to leave before he returns with his whole pride."
Simba nodded and trotted over to his pride. He nudged them all up, and they took of across the plains to escape the devilry that would befall them.
The sun was merciless that day, and the tired lions trekked across rocky plains looming beyond Urukai's territory. Sharp, heavy boulders caked dry, cracked grounds, and the dead acacia trees marked the burial grounds of lions who attempted the treacherous trail seasons ago. A lone boulder sat in the middle of it all. To the Pride's relief, a cave had been dug inside, and the lions escaped the devastating heat of midday.
Simba took an inspection of his lions, and Rafiki prepared remedies for the sickly that he found. He arrived to his mother who nursed a wound she received when she stepped on a sharp rock, and smiled at her.
"You ok mom?" he asked concerned.
"Oh I'm fine sweetheart, its just a little cut. Rafiki already gave me some herbs. You go on and rest. You need your strength."
She licked his cheek and he chuckled in embarrassment.
"Moooooooooooooooooooooooom!" he said rubbing his cheek.
He then arrived to his lovely mate Nala, and gasped. She was lying on her side and breathing heavily. He licked her cheek and nuzzled her head.
"Nala, what's wrong? Are you ill?"
"No..." she groaned. "I just feel strange..."
Rafiki hobbled over and inspected her. After several minutes, the shaman walked up to the concerned King. A smile had spread across his face, longer than a river.
"What is it Rafiki?" Simba asked nervously.
"King Simba," the baboon began. "I am proud to announce, dat Queen Nala is wit cub. You shall have an heir to de throne."
Simba's eyes widened. He tried to speak, but his throat was dry as a desert. His paws were glued to the ground, and his ears flicked like they had just heard a spell. This lasted only a fraction of a second, before he cried out with joy. He ran and nuzzled a now standing, proud Nala, as tears swept down both their muzzles. The rest of the Pride roared their hymn of new life, and crowded the expectant Queen.
Kazumi walked up to Simba and they bumped heads in a sign of congratulation.
"Can you tell how many, and what gender?" Simba asked excitedly.
Rafiki hobbled up to Nala, and placed a gentle hand against her stomach. He chuckled, and got to his feet.
"Hehehe, it is one, and a little boy, by his rambunctious kicking!"
Everyone laughed, and Kazumi placed a paw over Simba's shoulder.
"Gotta pick a name now!"
"There's plenty of time for that!" Simba laughed.
Sarabi walked up to Nala and nuzzled her.
"I'll help you through this dear," she said gently.
"Thanks," Nala said with relief. "I don't know if I'll be very good at this."
That night, Simba and Kazumi went around the lands to try to find anything to eat. They were lucky enough to find a lost, sickly, and old wildebeest wandering the area. The Pride ate to their full content, and there were even scraps left.
The stars shone brightly, and Simba sat outside the cave, gazing at the sky, packed with stars. He smiled at one rather large one that seemed to be twinkling the brightest.
"A boy dad," Simba whispered fighting back tears. "You're gonna have a grandson."
Another warm gust of wind surrounded Simba like an embrace. A tear fell to the ground.
"I love you too Father."
"You have been to the Sacred Land of Kings?" Simba asked amazed.
"I wouldn't say 'been there.' I have seen it however."
"You speak the truth?" Simba asked eagerly.
Kazumi nodded his dark-maned head. "You have many moons left to travel. But if you travel right, your search will not be in vain. The sun spills over the valleys, and sparkles like drops of rain water. The grass is green and full, and the flowers smell sweet and delicate. The sky is blue as hornbill feathers, and an ancient rock looms in the middle of it all. The elders referred to it a Valley Rock. It is virgin land, untouched and sacred. It always felt like it was reserved for another."
"How do you know all this if you've never been there?" Simba questioned.
Kazumi pushed back a strand of his mane that fell in his face. "A shaman I once knew pointed me towards the sun. He sprinkled acacia leaves and dandelion fluffs into the air, and when it reached the middle of the sun, it could be seen clear as the sky! He showed it to me because he told me I was destined to help another reach it. I went myself, but when I tried to enter, some invisible force blocked my entrance like a boulder in my path. A long road lead into it."
The lionesses mumbled quickly among each other as quickly as a stream.
"Will you lead us there?" Sarabi asked. "Finding this land is our only hope for survival. Our home is in ruins."
Kazumi smiled at the elder lioness, his mane draping over his now sparkling onyx eyes.
"It would be my pleasure," he said bowing.
Night fell, and a cold breeze ruffled Simba's shaggy mane. He opened his sleepy eyes as the breeze brushed past his muzzle. He looked into the cold, night sky, and sighed. How he missed his father. Just then, another breeze engulfed the young lion, but this time, it felt warm and comforting. It ruffled through his mane and breezed against the rest of his fur, before blowing into the sky. Simba followed it, and saw the beloved image of Mufasa smiling down upon him in the light of the full moon. A tear trickled down his muzzle, and he closed his eyes and nodded his head.
"Goodnight Father."
Simba arose the next morning to find Kazumi lapping up water in a small stream near by. He trotted over and bid good morning to the rogue lion.
"Good morning to you too Your Highness," he said bowing. "How'd you sleep?"
Simba walked through the memory of seeing his father during the night and smiled. "Pretty good actually," he replied after a short pause. "Do we plan to depart soon?"
"Absolutely," Kazumi replied. "Whenever your Pride is ready."
"As soon as they're all awake I'll alert them," Simba replied. "It's best to leave as soon as possible."
"A wise decision," Kazumi stated. "We're still bordering Urukai's lands, and it's best to leave before he returns with his whole pride."
Simba nodded and trotted over to his pride. He nudged them all up, and they took of across the plains to escape the devilry that would befall them.
The sun was merciless that day, and the tired lions trekked across rocky plains looming beyond Urukai's territory. Sharp, heavy boulders caked dry, cracked grounds, and the dead acacia trees marked the burial grounds of lions who attempted the treacherous trail seasons ago. A lone boulder sat in the middle of it all. To the Pride's relief, a cave had been dug inside, and the lions escaped the devastating heat of midday.
Simba took an inspection of his lions, and Rafiki prepared remedies for the sickly that he found. He arrived to his mother who nursed a wound she received when she stepped on a sharp rock, and smiled at her.
"You ok mom?" he asked concerned.
"Oh I'm fine sweetheart, its just a little cut. Rafiki already gave me some herbs. You go on and rest. You need your strength."
She licked his cheek and he chuckled in embarrassment.
"Moooooooooooooooooooooooom!" he said rubbing his cheek.
He then arrived to his lovely mate Nala, and gasped. She was lying on her side and breathing heavily. He licked her cheek and nuzzled her head.
"Nala, what's wrong? Are you ill?"
"No..." she groaned. "I just feel strange..."
Rafiki hobbled over and inspected her. After several minutes, the shaman walked up to the concerned King. A smile had spread across his face, longer than a river.
"What is it Rafiki?" Simba asked nervously.
"King Simba," the baboon began. "I am proud to announce, dat Queen Nala is wit cub. You shall have an heir to de throne."
Simba's eyes widened. He tried to speak, but his throat was dry as a desert. His paws were glued to the ground, and his ears flicked like they had just heard a spell. This lasted only a fraction of a second, before he cried out with joy. He ran and nuzzled a now standing, proud Nala, as tears swept down both their muzzles. The rest of the Pride roared their hymn of new life, and crowded the expectant Queen.
Kazumi walked up to Simba and they bumped heads in a sign of congratulation.
"Can you tell how many, and what gender?" Simba asked excitedly.
Rafiki hobbled up to Nala, and placed a gentle hand against her stomach. He chuckled, and got to his feet.
"Hehehe, it is one, and a little boy, by his rambunctious kicking!"
Everyone laughed, and Kazumi placed a paw over Simba's shoulder.
"Gotta pick a name now!"
"There's plenty of time for that!" Simba laughed.
Sarabi walked up to Nala and nuzzled her.
"I'll help you through this dear," she said gently.
"Thanks," Nala said with relief. "I don't know if I'll be very good at this."
That night, Simba and Kazumi went around the lands to try to find anything to eat. They were lucky enough to find a lost, sickly, and old wildebeest wandering the area. The Pride ate to their full content, and there were even scraps left.
The stars shone brightly, and Simba sat outside the cave, gazing at the sky, packed with stars. He smiled at one rather large one that seemed to be twinkling the brightest.
"A boy dad," Simba whispered fighting back tears. "You're gonna have a grandson."
Another warm gust of wind surrounded Simba like an embrace. A tear fell to the ground.
"I love you too Father."