CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alani entered the den and saw Hasani, Tanisha and the mandrill Rashid in deep conversation. They all looked serious.
" Alani," Hasani greeted her with a solemn frown.
" What's the matter?" she asked him, " Is something wrong?"
" We know who you are." Rashid blurted and Alani's eyes went wide. She'd been dreading this day.
" You do? How did you…?" she trailed off.
" Rashid found out." Hasani explained, " Before we tell you what we know, we must bring in Zenka and Nadira. They deserve to know."
Nadira was Zenka's older sister. Nadira was hardly around because she was often out hunting with the lionesses. Unlike her family, Nadira hasn't accepted her into the family. She mostly ignored Alani. Rashid disappeared and returned a minute later with the brother and sister in tow.
Alani sighed, " I guess it's about time you all knew because I've decided something."
" Decided what?" Zenka queried, " What's going on?"
" They know." Alani told him, " they've found out about my past."
" Really?" Zenka glanced at his parents.
" Do you and Nadira recall the great King Mufasa has a brother?" Hasani began and they nodded.
" His name is Scar." Hasani continued, " And Scar had two daughters-twins. One day, one of the twins had died by falling off a cliff. This happened around the same time King Mufasa and Prince Simba died in the stampede. The other twin became Queen and is ruling the Pride Lands."
" The name of this new Queen Is Annalina." Tanisha finished telling the story for Hasani, " and the cub who died was named Alani."
Zenka gasped and stared at Alani, " She can't be dead! She's right here."
" Scar and his family thought she had died," Hasani added, " they never knew Alani survived the fall."
" Alani…why didn't you tell us?" Zenka demanded her, " Why did you keep your family a secret? What were you ashamed of?"
" I-I cannot tell you." Alani said, " Know that everything's out in the open, and let's just leave it at that."
" You've had me believing you've been alone all this time." Zenka snapped,
" You've been lying to me all our lives!"
" I'm sorry! There were some things you shouldn't know about me." Alani said.
" I never trusted her Mom." Nadira spoke up, " I always knew there was something funny with her and I was right."
" How did you find out Rashid? How could you pry into my private life?" Alani turned her attention towards the mandrill.
" I am the brother of Rafiki," Rashid explained, " he was Mufasa's shaman. He knows everything that goes on in the Pride Lands. He misses nothing."
" I guess you guys want me to leave now." Alani looked at the family she came to love as her own.
" Of course not my dear." Tanisha smiled, " It wasn't your fault you were chased by some hyenas and they caused you to fall off that cliff. I think it was fate when Zenka found you that day."
Zenka was still angry at Alani said nothing. He turned and stalked out of the den with Nadira close behind.
" I have decided something." Alani said, " I've decided to go back to the Pride Lands and tell my mother and my father I've been alive all this time." She didn't add the fact her father wanted her dead. But she could put her mother out of her misery.
And it gave her a chance to put Annalina in her place one and for all!
Alani entered the den and saw Hasani, Tanisha and the mandrill Rashid in deep conversation. They all looked serious.
" Alani," Hasani greeted her with a solemn frown.
" What's the matter?" she asked him, " Is something wrong?"
" We know who you are." Rashid blurted and Alani's eyes went wide. She'd been dreading this day.
" You do? How did you…?" she trailed off.
" Rashid found out." Hasani explained, " Before we tell you what we know, we must bring in Zenka and Nadira. They deserve to know."
Nadira was Zenka's older sister. Nadira was hardly around because she was often out hunting with the lionesses. Unlike her family, Nadira hasn't accepted her into the family. She mostly ignored Alani. Rashid disappeared and returned a minute later with the brother and sister in tow.
Alani sighed, " I guess it's about time you all knew because I've decided something."
" Decided what?" Zenka queried, " What's going on?"
" They know." Alani told him, " they've found out about my past."
" Really?" Zenka glanced at his parents.
" Do you and Nadira recall the great King Mufasa has a brother?" Hasani began and they nodded.
" His name is Scar." Hasani continued, " And Scar had two daughters-twins. One day, one of the twins had died by falling off a cliff. This happened around the same time King Mufasa and Prince Simba died in the stampede. The other twin became Queen and is ruling the Pride Lands."
" The name of this new Queen Is Annalina." Tanisha finished telling the story for Hasani, " and the cub who died was named Alani."
Zenka gasped and stared at Alani, " She can't be dead! She's right here."
" Scar and his family thought she had died," Hasani added, " they never knew Alani survived the fall."
" Alani…why didn't you tell us?" Zenka demanded her, " Why did you keep your family a secret? What were you ashamed of?"
" I-I cannot tell you." Alani said, " Know that everything's out in the open, and let's just leave it at that."
" You've had me believing you've been alone all this time." Zenka snapped,
" You've been lying to me all our lives!"
" I'm sorry! There were some things you shouldn't know about me." Alani said.
" I never trusted her Mom." Nadira spoke up, " I always knew there was something funny with her and I was right."
" How did you find out Rashid? How could you pry into my private life?" Alani turned her attention towards the mandrill.
" I am the brother of Rafiki," Rashid explained, " he was Mufasa's shaman. He knows everything that goes on in the Pride Lands. He misses nothing."
" I guess you guys want me to leave now." Alani looked at the family she came to love as her own.
" Of course not my dear." Tanisha smiled, " It wasn't your fault you were chased by some hyenas and they caused you to fall off that cliff. I think it was fate when Zenka found you that day."
Zenka was still angry at Alani said nothing. He turned and stalked out of the den with Nadira close behind.
" I have decided something." Alani said, " I've decided to go back to the Pride Lands and tell my mother and my father I've been alive all this time." She didn't add the fact her father wanted her dead. But she could put her mother out of her misery.
And it gave her a chance to put Annalina in her place one and for all!