Chapter IX
Evil's Revenge
A clap of thunder rang clear across the Sacred Land as Simba and Kazumi marched forward, a pride of lionesses behind them. Staring nervously from Valley Rock, Alani sat next to Nala, and the elders not far behind them.
Simba's paws touched the grass and bounced lively upward from its springy feel. Kazumi looked at Simba as they marched, and their pained expressions met the other in moments. Urukai was a brutal lion, engulfed and overshadowed by his own greed and hatred. It was the same fate Scar had met.
"This is dangerous Simba. We walk into the jaws of death this night," Kazumi stated.
Simba looked at Kazumi as he marched. "You're hiding from the future Kazumi," he said calmly. "We must think of what the future holds before we can accept the present. I think of my beloved's son's future before I consider his birth. It is only natural."
Kazumi smiled at the young king. "You seem to have no fear over this. You fear not that the future may be your demise. Your son may grow up without a father."
"I won't let that happen. The gods as my witnesses, I will see my son's presentation, and I will see his mane grow. Heaven forbid I fail tonight. Heaven forbid you bury my battered remains."
Kazumi nodded and took a deep breath. Urukai was within one hundred yards now. An angry, bloodthirsty pride snarled and growled behind him, and Kazumi only feared more. Simba then passed him a slick smile, a smile with no fear, only bravery and faith.
Finally, the two prides came face to face, standing near a great gorge, and a herd of wildebeest grazing on a field near it. They immediately stopped and turned to see the two prides preparing for combat.
A flash sped through the sky and hit a lone acacia tree, engulfing it in flames. The wildebeest began to paw the ground nervously, and make terrified noises.
"So, the moment has arrived at last," Urukai sneered, his teeth bared. I may finally tear into your worthless flesh."
"I give you one more chance Urukai!" Simba declared. "Go home! Put it behind you! Let live peace!"
Urukai replied with a death defying roar, and ordered his lionesses to charge. The Pride lionesses bared their teeth, extended their claws, and the Final Battle commenced. Claws ripped into soft flesh, and teeth clanged with teeth. Blood soiled the once fertile ground, and an angry fire raged over the valley.
Through the smoke and ash, Simba lost sight of Urukai, and searched frantically for him. As he coughed uncontrollably, he felt a heavy paw smash into his left cheek, and he stumbled backward. He had unknowingly traveled to close to the gorge, and toppled into it. He hit the ground hard, and cried out from the excruciating pain. His painful roar had terrified the wildebeest, and the charged down the gorge. Simba felt history slowly repeat itself.
"SIMBA!" Kazumi cried looking down the gorge.
"I'm all right Kazumi!" Simba yelled up, stumbling to his feet. It was the will of the gods that he was alive and well.
He quickly jumped up a small boulder as the river of wildebeest stampeded through the shaking gorge. He looked around it as the wildebeest ran frantically, thousands of them. He suddenly felt a heavy push, and he fell to the ground, the mass of angry hooves rumbling through his ears. Urukai slowly walked through the mass of wildebeest, his angry eyes glowing red with hate.
Simba stumbled to his feet, the wind of angry wildebeest rushing through his mane. What a great spot to finish a battle!
Simba then forced in all his strength, and attacked Urukai with full force. The lions smashed claw with flesh, and rammed fang with fang. Blood seeped from open wounds, but their fiery will continued to burn angrily. Simba smashed Urukai's face with his paw, and he fell to the ground. A wildebeest stepped on his belly, and Urukai screamed in pain. A rib was broken, but his will only burned brighter. He arose and attacked Simba with such force, that he flew backward into the lone boulder he used to escape the wildebeest.
Simba took a deep, raspy breath, knowing they would both be killed down there if they didn't find safety. He tricked Urukai into following him, and they raced up the steep path of the gorge onto the grassy fields. The lionesses had ceased fighting and had watched the battle scene the entire time.
At the edge of the gorge, their battle resumed, and not any less brutal than before. Simba bit deep into Urukai's back, and he whirled around and grabbed him by the leg, tossing him into a tree. Simba stood, dazed from the impact, and received a smash to his head by Urukai's merciless claws. His ear bled badly, but he paid it no mind. He jumped onto Urukai's back, and dug his claws deep into both sides of his flank. Urukai cried out as Simba's claws dug in deeper and deeper until finally kicking him off and into the ground.
Simba shook his head, and saw Urukai jump at him, his mouth wide, his angry fangs piercing in the wind. With his head to the gorge, he flung Urukai over it, into the continuing river of wildebeest. As he fell, he grabbed onto a ledge, and climbed up the vertical slope. He clung desperately to it and looked up at Simba, glowing with angry hate and fury.
Simba shook his head in horror, the same way Mufasa looked before his terrible death. He quickly stuck his paw out and cried out to Urukai.
"Urukai! Give me your paw!" he said stretching his paw down as low as he could.
Urukai only looked up at Simba and roared angrily, trying to swipe it away. He bared his teeth and growled at him. He was determined to finish Taka's nephew.
"Don't be foolish Urukai! Let me help you! Know peace!"
Urukai only swiped his paw again, and gnashed his teeth at him. "Rot in the underworld you little pig!"
Simba lowered his paw even lower, begging Urukai to take it.
Urukai then smiled. He took a deep breath, and spoke softly. "King Taka, my teacher and my idol. I die now for you. Knowing only you could rule the Pridelands."
"Urukai! NO!" Simba screamed.
Urukai smiled. "King Taka is dead. Long live the King."
With that, Urukai released his hold and fell with a continuing smile into the angry mass of wildebeest below.
Simba shut his eyes and turned away in horror as a blood curdling roar rang across the valley, and slowly died away with the wildebeest stampede.
He looked over the edge, and saw Urukai's crumpled body laying on a boulder split in two. Simba shudders to this day, remembering the little smile upon his evil face.
Rafiki, Pumbaa, and Timon walked up, and gazed into Simba's eyes. Simba looked at Rafiki.
"Bury Urukai's body," Simba ordered. "He was a lion to be pitied."
Urukai's lions quickly retreated at the sight of their dead leader, and Simba rejoiced along with Kazumi and the Pride. Nala came down and wept joyously into Simba's mane. Alani nuzzled Kazumi, and both wept tears of joy.
A gentle rain fell onto the valley that night, and quickly dispersed of the flames. To this day, the lionesses continue to murmer about how the great gods not let a single blade of grass burn. For when the sun illuminated that day, the Sacred Land looked just as it had been before. Not a trace of damage.
Simba sat on the tip of Valley Rock that morning, and smiled at the sun. He knew his mother and father smiled back at him, the warm rays touching his fur. Nala walked up next to him, her belly now bulging with the cub inside her, and rested her head on his majestic mane. And there they sat, Mufasa and Sarabi staring down in the rays of the African Sun.
Evil's Revenge
A clap of thunder rang clear across the Sacred Land as Simba and Kazumi marched forward, a pride of lionesses behind them. Staring nervously from Valley Rock, Alani sat next to Nala, and the elders not far behind them.
Simba's paws touched the grass and bounced lively upward from its springy feel. Kazumi looked at Simba as they marched, and their pained expressions met the other in moments. Urukai was a brutal lion, engulfed and overshadowed by his own greed and hatred. It was the same fate Scar had met.
"This is dangerous Simba. We walk into the jaws of death this night," Kazumi stated.
Simba looked at Kazumi as he marched. "You're hiding from the future Kazumi," he said calmly. "We must think of what the future holds before we can accept the present. I think of my beloved's son's future before I consider his birth. It is only natural."
Kazumi smiled at the young king. "You seem to have no fear over this. You fear not that the future may be your demise. Your son may grow up without a father."
"I won't let that happen. The gods as my witnesses, I will see my son's presentation, and I will see his mane grow. Heaven forbid I fail tonight. Heaven forbid you bury my battered remains."
Kazumi nodded and took a deep breath. Urukai was within one hundred yards now. An angry, bloodthirsty pride snarled and growled behind him, and Kazumi only feared more. Simba then passed him a slick smile, a smile with no fear, only bravery and faith.
Finally, the two prides came face to face, standing near a great gorge, and a herd of wildebeest grazing on a field near it. They immediately stopped and turned to see the two prides preparing for combat.
A flash sped through the sky and hit a lone acacia tree, engulfing it in flames. The wildebeest began to paw the ground nervously, and make terrified noises.
"So, the moment has arrived at last," Urukai sneered, his teeth bared. I may finally tear into your worthless flesh."
"I give you one more chance Urukai!" Simba declared. "Go home! Put it behind you! Let live peace!"
Urukai replied with a death defying roar, and ordered his lionesses to charge. The Pride lionesses bared their teeth, extended their claws, and the Final Battle commenced. Claws ripped into soft flesh, and teeth clanged with teeth. Blood soiled the once fertile ground, and an angry fire raged over the valley.
Through the smoke and ash, Simba lost sight of Urukai, and searched frantically for him. As he coughed uncontrollably, he felt a heavy paw smash into his left cheek, and he stumbled backward. He had unknowingly traveled to close to the gorge, and toppled into it. He hit the ground hard, and cried out from the excruciating pain. His painful roar had terrified the wildebeest, and the charged down the gorge. Simba felt history slowly repeat itself.
"SIMBA!" Kazumi cried looking down the gorge.
"I'm all right Kazumi!" Simba yelled up, stumbling to his feet. It was the will of the gods that he was alive and well.
He quickly jumped up a small boulder as the river of wildebeest stampeded through the shaking gorge. He looked around it as the wildebeest ran frantically, thousands of them. He suddenly felt a heavy push, and he fell to the ground, the mass of angry hooves rumbling through his ears. Urukai slowly walked through the mass of wildebeest, his angry eyes glowing red with hate.
Simba stumbled to his feet, the wind of angry wildebeest rushing through his mane. What a great spot to finish a battle!
Simba then forced in all his strength, and attacked Urukai with full force. The lions smashed claw with flesh, and rammed fang with fang. Blood seeped from open wounds, but their fiery will continued to burn angrily. Simba smashed Urukai's face with his paw, and he fell to the ground. A wildebeest stepped on his belly, and Urukai screamed in pain. A rib was broken, but his will only burned brighter. He arose and attacked Simba with such force, that he flew backward into the lone boulder he used to escape the wildebeest.
Simba took a deep, raspy breath, knowing they would both be killed down there if they didn't find safety. He tricked Urukai into following him, and they raced up the steep path of the gorge onto the grassy fields. The lionesses had ceased fighting and had watched the battle scene the entire time.
At the edge of the gorge, their battle resumed, and not any less brutal than before. Simba bit deep into Urukai's back, and he whirled around and grabbed him by the leg, tossing him into a tree. Simba stood, dazed from the impact, and received a smash to his head by Urukai's merciless claws. His ear bled badly, but he paid it no mind. He jumped onto Urukai's back, and dug his claws deep into both sides of his flank. Urukai cried out as Simba's claws dug in deeper and deeper until finally kicking him off and into the ground.
Simba shook his head, and saw Urukai jump at him, his mouth wide, his angry fangs piercing in the wind. With his head to the gorge, he flung Urukai over it, into the continuing river of wildebeest. As he fell, he grabbed onto a ledge, and climbed up the vertical slope. He clung desperately to it and looked up at Simba, glowing with angry hate and fury.
Simba shook his head in horror, the same way Mufasa looked before his terrible death. He quickly stuck his paw out and cried out to Urukai.
"Urukai! Give me your paw!" he said stretching his paw down as low as he could.
Urukai only looked up at Simba and roared angrily, trying to swipe it away. He bared his teeth and growled at him. He was determined to finish Taka's nephew.
"Don't be foolish Urukai! Let me help you! Know peace!"
Urukai only swiped his paw again, and gnashed his teeth at him. "Rot in the underworld you little pig!"
Simba lowered his paw even lower, begging Urukai to take it.
Urukai then smiled. He took a deep breath, and spoke softly. "King Taka, my teacher and my idol. I die now for you. Knowing only you could rule the Pridelands."
"Urukai! NO!" Simba screamed.
Urukai smiled. "King Taka is dead. Long live the King."
With that, Urukai released his hold and fell with a continuing smile into the angry mass of wildebeest below.
Simba shut his eyes and turned away in horror as a blood curdling roar rang across the valley, and slowly died away with the wildebeest stampede.
He looked over the edge, and saw Urukai's crumpled body laying on a boulder split in two. Simba shudders to this day, remembering the little smile upon his evil face.
Rafiki, Pumbaa, and Timon walked up, and gazed into Simba's eyes. Simba looked at Rafiki.
"Bury Urukai's body," Simba ordered. "He was a lion to be pitied."
Urukai's lions quickly retreated at the sight of their dead leader, and Simba rejoiced along with Kazumi and the Pride. Nala came down and wept joyously into Simba's mane. Alani nuzzled Kazumi, and both wept tears of joy.
A gentle rain fell onto the valley that night, and quickly dispersed of the flames. To this day, the lionesses continue to murmer about how the great gods not let a single blade of grass burn. For when the sun illuminated that day, the Sacred Land looked just as it had been before. Not a trace of damage.
Simba sat on the tip of Valley Rock that morning, and smiled at the sun. He knew his mother and father smiled back at him, the warm rays touching his fur. Nala walked up next to him, her belly now bulging with the cub inside her, and rested her head on his majestic mane. And there they sat, Mufasa and Sarabi staring down in the rays of the African Sun.