Chapter 4: Everyone, Meet Kital

This is a rather interesting scene. You have a pride of about a dozen full-grown lions on one side, a single unusually large hyena on the other, and a baboon right between them. Looks almost like a riot scene with the baboon trying to break it up.

"What are you doing here," Simba demanded hysterically, "explain yourself, now!" The hyena just stared with its single eye defiantly, completely unaffected.

"Simba, everyone, please control yourselves," Rafiki pleaded, "this is not what it appears to be. This hyena is going to be my student."

"Huh!?" Simba and the other lions exclaimed in unison, and with a very shocked look.

"Whaaat!?" The hyena almost screamed, also with a very shocked face.

Rafiki gave his best explanation. "Look. Simba, everyone, I have to tell you all about the dreams and visions that I've been having lately. The first of these dreams occurred a few days before Mufasa died from that wildebeest stampede. In those dreams, I was meditating in the middle of a vast plain when the ground started shaking. It felt like a herd of wildebeest or elephants were passing by and then there was a very thick dust storm. When the dust settled, there was a huge beast right in front of me. The shape of the beast was hard to make out, but I did see two glowing eyes. Next thing I know, its left eye disappeared, then its right eye disappeared. What happened next terrified me. A bright spot appeared on its forehead and immediately changed into an eye. This eye was different, it seemed to be connected directly to its mind. I was about to defend myself, but I couldn't move. Then the third eye glowed very bright, almost blinding me. I then heard a deep, loud voice in my head saying: 'I want you to help me. I am in agony and I need your help. In return, I will become your best pupil.' I strongly believe that this hyena could be the one from my visions and dreams."

Simba and his pride of lions, even the hyena, were staring in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me," Simba said, almost laughing, "a hyena being here in the Pridelands just to be your student?" Simba knew that he should at least respect Rafiki, but this was just too much for anyone to handle. "Rafiki, I'm not about to let the Prideland's reputation become ruined by allowing a dirty, smelly, disease-ridden hyena to live here. Now please step aside and let us handle this."

Rafiki was now almost losing control of his temper. It makes sense that it would be hard to find word that will support the hyena, after all, this is an extremely unusual situation. "Please Simba, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. After all, there's only one of him and many of you. I'm going to make him my responsibility if this makes you feel better, and you know that I'm very good at keeping my responsibility in check. Why don't you leave a few lions here to keep guard over him?"

Simba thought long and hard about this and then called Kovu. Simba and Kovu walked a short distance away to talk. "Well Kovu," Simba asked, "what do you think of Rafiki's idea? Do you think it's worth our time and safety to keep this hyena around?"

"I'm not someone that would question Rafiki's thoughts," Kovu answered, "however, we cannot risk driving that hyena away. There's no telling what he might tell the other hyenas about what he's seen or learned in the Pridelands. Besides, if he's stupid enough to pull something off, he's going to pay with his life and I'm sure that he knows this."

"My thoughts exactly," said Simba, "which is why I've chosen you to guard that hyena. And just to be safe, I'm sending two more lions to help you out. So, do you think that you're up to the challenge?"

"Um, well, uh," Kovu stuttered, "I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem but, why me."

Simba answered as best as he could, "when Scar rounded up his hyenas and took over the Pridelands, you were the only lion that wasn't there. All of the lions and I experienced first-hand the mayhem that they caused. Therefore, I have too much hatred towards hyenas in my heart. I believe that you will do a better job guarding the hyena better than any other lion."

Simba and Kovu walked back to Rafiki and the hyena and explained their plan to them. Both Rafiki and the hyena agreed to this, then every lion except Kovu and two others returned to Pride Rock.

"Okay," said Rafiki, "before any other problems occur, I would like to know your name."

"My name is Kital," answered the hyena, "in my native language it means 'spot' and I'm proud of my name."

Kovu and the other two lions overheard this and started chuckling. "Spot?," said Kovu in a rather girlish tone, "that's a pretty sissy name don't you think? Oh, look at me, my name is Kital, but you can call me spot." The other two lions started laughing aloud.

Kital quickly stared them down in disgust. "That's Kital to you!," he almost screamed.

Rafiki shook his head in disappointment. "Oh just ignore them. I guess they're not used to having a hyena as a playmate."

The three lions sopped laughing. "A playmate!? Yeah right, as if!"

Rafiki continued, "next, I would like to know your life story. Tell me as much as you know before you arrived here."

"I will under one condition," answered Kital.

"Yes, what is it"?

"You tell me a little about your life story."

"Wow," said Rafiki in surprise, "nobody's ever asked me that before, not even Simba. I hope I can remember some memories. Now tell me what you know."

"All right," said Kital, somewhat anxious, "I'll do my best."