Chapter VI
Shadows in the Dark
After passing over Demon's Pass, the Pride came upon an enormous canyon streaked with age. The steep walls stood proudly, and when they peeked over the edge, no bottom could be seen. Simba swallowed hard, it brought back terrible memories. He turned away from it, and began to observe the area around it. Its length dumbfounded him. If they tried to go around, it would take two more moons at the least. They could cross it and be at the other side by midday.
"What are we supposed to do?" Nala asked her mate. By now, the little cub inside her had started to grow, and she tired more quickly.
"We're going to have to cross," Simba mumbled. "But how?"
He began to look around desperately, and smiled with relief. A huge, dead tree stood at the edge of the gorge. It was just long enough to stretch the width of the canyon.
"Kazumi! Give me a hand here! We gotta knock this sucker down!" Simba exclaimed.
The two young lions placed their heads against the tree's thick trunk, and pushed with all their might. They moved their feet forward and gritted their teeth, but the mighty tree refused to budge. Simba brushed away his thick mane, and pushed again with all the strength he could bring from inside. Suddenly, a large creak could be heard. Simba grinned as the stump cracked, and the huge trunk fell forward, landing hard on the other side.
Simba sighed with relief, everything went perfectly to plan. He rounded up the lionesses, and one by one, they crossed the large trunk. The lionesses urged Simba to be the first to cross, and he was successful. Kazumi then helped the lionesses, and Pumbaa cross, and Nala was the last. As she reached the half-point of the trunk, an earthquake commenced, and a large crack was heard. The weight of the lions was to much for the dead tree, and it cracked and sank under Nala's weight.
"NALA!" Simba cried. "RUN NALA RUN!"
She walked slowly and fearfully as the tree cracked and broke underneath her. She would never make it to the end in time. With a leap, Kazumi bounded across the trunk, and pushed Nala across it just in time.
The log finally fell, but Nala was safe. Kazumi took a leap of faith as the log disappeared beneath his paws, and managed to get a piece of the ledge. He dug his claws deep into the hard ground, and gritted his teeth. He clung desperately, but could not get his legs into the rock. He could not hold on for long.
"KAZUMI!" Simba cried. He trudged forward as the earthquake continued to rumble angrily.
It finally ceased, but Kazumi continued to slip, and his claws drag against the ground. Kazumi looked up at Simba as he looked desperately to help him. But he could see the edge was unstable, and they would both plunge to their deaths. He could not afford Simba's death. This was a noble sacrifice.
"Get outta here Simba," he urged with a smile on his face. At that, Kazumi released his hold, and plunged into the darkness of the canyon.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Simba roared, and ran to the ledge. Kazumi had disappeared into the shadows.
Nala bowed her head as tears streaked down her muzzle. He had made such a noble and heartless sacrifice. For her, and her unborn cub.
Simba just shook his head in disbelief. He gritted his teeth as his tears fell into the gravel beneath his paws. He lifted his head back and roared in mourning. The lionesses did the same.
* * * *
Simba's paws touched the ground lightly as he passed through the grassy plains of an open field. His heart was torn so deeply and forcefully. He had lost his beloved mother, and his best friend on this painful journey, and he began to wonder how much more the gods would take from him. How far they would stoop to drive him mad. They didn't have much farther to go.
The night sky twinkled, and he felt glad that his mother and father were still watching him. He looked at their twinkling stars, and searched the skies for answers. He became saddened when he found none. Only silence and secret continued to twinkle in the skies. He continued forward, but did not notice his father's gleaming image next to him.
"Anything is possible with a little faith my son," he said smiling, knowing he was completely invisible to Simba.
Mufasa stood by his son for the remainder of the painful night.
That morning, the Pride stopped by a watering hole to rest and drink some water. A few of the lionesses brought down an old gazelle and ate their fill. Simba sat thinking to himself as he licked his lips. He pondered the rest of their journey. With luck, they could make it in another two moons, but they would have to travel quickly and quietly. Simba was still uneasy about Urukai, and had to be quick and avoid him.
They departed not long after their meal, and followed a dark, shadowy jungle. The calls of apes and birds rang through their ears, but as if whispering for them to leave. Zazu gulped, and perched on Simba's shoulder for the trip. Timon yelped and hid below Pumbaa, and they continued to pass through the dense jungle.
"I don't like this place," Nala whispered. "I don't sense any kindness here."
"Yes," Rafiki whispered. "Dere is evil here. Evil dat never sleeps."
"Good guess," came a low voice.
Simba whirled around to see Urukai perched on a log, a lion Pride behind him.
"Can't you let this go?" Simba growled. "Are you determined to kill me for just stepping in your lands? I meant no harm!"
"Probably not," Urukai replied. "But I know you are a relative of the Great King Taka. His nephew, and his murderer."
"He sealed his own fate!" Simba roared. "I never meant to kill him!"
"He was my teacher!" Urukai roared back. "He prophesied that I would be the next King! He knew well though that I had a pride of my own! But he always looked out for me! He promised me the land after his death! But I see you destroyed him and took it for yourself!"
"THAT LAND WAS FATHER'S! MY UNCLE MURDERED HIM AND TOOK IT!"
"Maybe he was right to do it," Urukai sneered. "And I will take back what is my master's."
Simba knew that Urukai's Pride outnumbered his own. They had to escape. Simba gave Rafiki a signal, and the shaman unleashed a huge wave of dust that he carried. Urukai shut his eyes and tried to rub it out.
"Run!" Simba cried.
With that, they dashed into the dense, jungle mist.
After passing over Demon's Pass, the Pride came upon an enormous canyon streaked with age. The steep walls stood proudly, and when they peeked over the edge, no bottom could be seen. Simba swallowed hard, it brought back terrible memories. He turned away from it, and began to observe the area around it. Its length dumbfounded him. If they tried to go around, it would take two more moons at the least. They could cross it and be at the other side by midday.
"What are we supposed to do?" Nala asked her mate. By now, the little cub inside her had started to grow, and she tired more quickly.
"We're going to have to cross," Simba mumbled. "But how?"
He began to look around desperately, and smiled with relief. A huge, dead tree stood at the edge of the gorge. It was just long enough to stretch the width of the canyon.
"Kazumi! Give me a hand here! We gotta knock this sucker down!" Simba exclaimed.
The two young lions placed their heads against the tree's thick trunk, and pushed with all their might. They moved their feet forward and gritted their teeth, but the mighty tree refused to budge. Simba brushed away his thick mane, and pushed again with all the strength he could bring from inside. Suddenly, a large creak could be heard. Simba grinned as the stump cracked, and the huge trunk fell forward, landing hard on the other side.
Simba sighed with relief, everything went perfectly to plan. He rounded up the lionesses, and one by one, they crossed the large trunk. The lionesses urged Simba to be the first to cross, and he was successful. Kazumi then helped the lionesses, and Pumbaa cross, and Nala was the last. As she reached the half-point of the trunk, an earthquake commenced, and a large crack was heard. The weight of the lions was to much for the dead tree, and it cracked and sank under Nala's weight.
"NALA!" Simba cried. "RUN NALA RUN!"
She walked slowly and fearfully as the tree cracked and broke underneath her. She would never make it to the end in time. With a leap, Kazumi bounded across the trunk, and pushed Nala across it just in time.
The log finally fell, but Nala was safe. Kazumi took a leap of faith as the log disappeared beneath his paws, and managed to get a piece of the ledge. He dug his claws deep into the hard ground, and gritted his teeth. He clung desperately, but could not get his legs into the rock. He could not hold on for long.
"KAZUMI!" Simba cried. He trudged forward as the earthquake continued to rumble angrily.
It finally ceased, but Kazumi continued to slip, and his claws drag against the ground. Kazumi looked up at Simba as he looked desperately to help him. But he could see the edge was unstable, and they would both plunge to their deaths. He could not afford Simba's death. This was a noble sacrifice.
"Get outta here Simba," he urged with a smile on his face. At that, Kazumi released his hold, and plunged into the darkness of the canyon.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Simba roared, and ran to the ledge. Kazumi had disappeared into the shadows.
Nala bowed her head as tears streaked down her muzzle. He had made such a noble and heartless sacrifice. For her, and her unborn cub.
Simba just shook his head in disbelief. He gritted his teeth as his tears fell into the gravel beneath his paws. He lifted his head back and roared in mourning. The lionesses did the same.
* * * *
Simba's paws touched the ground lightly as he passed through the grassy plains of an open field. His heart was torn so deeply and forcefully. He had lost his beloved mother, and his best friend on this painful journey, and he began to wonder how much more the gods would take from him. How far they would stoop to drive him mad. They didn't have much farther to go.
The night sky twinkled, and he felt glad that his mother and father were still watching him. He looked at their twinkling stars, and searched the skies for answers. He became saddened when he found none. Only silence and secret continued to twinkle in the skies. He continued forward, but did not notice his father's gleaming image next to him.
"Anything is possible with a little faith my son," he said smiling, knowing he was completely invisible to Simba.
Mufasa stood by his son for the remainder of the painful night.
That morning, the Pride stopped by a watering hole to rest and drink some water. A few of the lionesses brought down an old gazelle and ate their fill. Simba sat thinking to himself as he licked his lips. He pondered the rest of their journey. With luck, they could make it in another two moons, but they would have to travel quickly and quietly. Simba was still uneasy about Urukai, and had to be quick and avoid him.
They departed not long after their meal, and followed a dark, shadowy jungle. The calls of apes and birds rang through their ears, but as if whispering for them to leave. Zazu gulped, and perched on Simba's shoulder for the trip. Timon yelped and hid below Pumbaa, and they continued to pass through the dense jungle.
"I don't like this place," Nala whispered. "I don't sense any kindness here."
"Yes," Rafiki whispered. "Dere is evil here. Evil dat never sleeps."
"Good guess," came a low voice.
Simba whirled around to see Urukai perched on a log, a lion Pride behind him.
"Can't you let this go?" Simba growled. "Are you determined to kill me for just stepping in your lands? I meant no harm!"
"Probably not," Urukai replied. "But I know you are a relative of the Great King Taka. His nephew, and his murderer."
"He sealed his own fate!" Simba roared. "I never meant to kill him!"
"He was my teacher!" Urukai roared back. "He prophesied that I would be the next King! He knew well though that I had a pride of my own! But he always looked out for me! He promised me the land after his death! But I see you destroyed him and took it for yourself!"
"THAT LAND WAS FATHER'S! MY UNCLE MURDERED HIM AND TOOK IT!"
"Maybe he was right to do it," Urukai sneered. "And I will take back what is my master's."
Simba knew that Urukai's Pride outnumbered his own. They had to escape. Simba gave Rafiki a signal, and the shaman unleashed a huge wave of dust that he carried. Urukai shut his eyes and tried to rub it out.
"Run!" Simba cried.
With that, they dashed into the dense, jungle mist.