Chapter 8: Training Time

"First, let's see what your body can take." Rafiki seemed very optimistic about this training session and hopes to learn more about Kital. "Don't take this the wrong, but I need to see how many hits your body can take, that way we can see how sturdy your body is. This will determine how hard I should train you. Those injuries that you've been giving yourself have all healed, so that shouldn't be a problem." It just so happened that Rafiki had a spare staff in his tree, so he decided to use this. "I'm going use my staff for this lesson, all right? First stand up straight on all four legs."

"Try not to go easy on me," Kital said with great confidence, "but also, try not to hit my face, it's too badly damaged already."

Without hesitating, Rafiki swung his staff at Kital's lower legs, causing the hyena to fall flat on his face. Kital almost lost his temper, but figured that it's part of the training, so he let it go. "I hope that you will learn from that little move." Rafiki then warned him that he was about to do it again. To counter this, Kital quickly dug his front claws into the ground. When the staff hit his front legs again, they didn't even move, though they stung slightly.

"Oh come on Rafiki," Kital taunted, "I'm sure you can hit harder than that."

"All right, you asked for it." Rafiki raised his staff over his head and whacked the hyena upside the head as hard as he could. He was hoping that Kital could withstand the hit. However, he got a bit more than that, and this shocked Rafiki. Kital was completely unaffected by the attack! Rafiki then looked down as his staff and noticed that it was broken in half. "Well, there goes my other staff."

"Uh Rafiki, I think a beetle just landed on by head," Kital said and started chuckling, half-mocking Rafiki's efforts.

"H-how, how did that not affect you," Rafiki asked, astonished.

Kital felt the ground and found a small stone. Before Rafiki could do anything, the crazy hyena smashed the stone on his own head like before. This time the stone split into several pieces, but Kital didn't seem affected, he wasn't even the least bit dazed! "I guess all that abuse I've been giving myself has somehow made my body tougher."

"Well I must say that I'm very impressed," Rafiki said in amazement, "I didn't expect anything like this so soon. I think we'll just continue on to the next lesson."

Next, Rafiki decided to teach Kital about meditation. "This next lesson is quite boring, but remember, a strong body needs a strong mind and this lesson will be most helpful." After several hours of practicing breathing and meditation techniques, Kital just barely seemed to understand this lesson. His traumatic experiences throughout his life have made meditation difficult.

"I understand that losing your parents and your eyesight has messed up your emotions," Rafiki said, trying to comfort the Hyena, " but try to use those experiences to help make yourself stronger."

Kital hesitated for a while. "All right, I'll try."

The next day, Rafiki decided to teach him some "special" techniques. Being aware of Kital's hard "training" in the past, Rafiki decided to add his own techniques as well. "Kital, this may sound like a silly question, but besides sight what are the other senses of the body?"

Kital didn't even have to think to answer this. "There's hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Why?"

"Did you know," Rafiki explained, "that it's possible to use your other remaining senses to help make up for your lost eyesight? I have trained myself in this situation long ago, and I still remember how it goes."

"Yes, I remember," Kital replied, "you started this kind of training just before you first arrived at the Pridelands. You said so in your life story."

"I will give you a small demonstration of my training long ago. Kovu and his helpers can be witnesses." Rafiki called Kovu and his helpers over and quickly explained to them about what's about to happen.

Rafiki returned his attention to Kital. "Do you remember those meditation techniques that you learned?"

"Of course, why?"

"Those meditation techniques, when mastered correctly, can heighten all of your remaining senses, making them more...well...sensitive. I want you to give it a try."

Earlier that day, Rafiki spent some time to make another staff that he would use later that day. "You see this staff? Uh, I mean I have another staff here that I will use for this lesson." (Duh, Kital can't "see" the staff). "Use those meditation techniques to increase your senses and your ability to fight."

Kital sat down and concentrated as hard as he could. He then began to hear and smell much more sensitively. He can almost "taste" air and he could hear the wind, even though the air was calm. Many different smells that he didn't notice before began to flood his sense of smell.

Suddenly, all of his senses changed simultaneously. There was a strong smell of wood, and he heard the sound of the wind change on the left side of his head. Almost instantly, an image appeared in his brain that gave him a vague idea about what's happening. Then immediately, he put up his left paw over the left side of his head and felt something hit it. It wasn't a very hard hit, but it was enough for him to notice.

As soon as the hit landed, he was able to feel the texture of the object that hit him. The texture felt a lot like smoothed out wood, and he remembered that just before he went blind, he got a good glance at Rafiki's staff and it was smoothed out wood! Could it be that the object that hit him was Rafiki's staff? But Rafiki didn't even warn him about any hits that he would deliver. Could this be part of the training?

Immediately, his senses changed again and felt the air change near his feet. He made a quick hop into the air and then heard a whoosh sound go under him. He even felt a quick wind pass underneath.

"Rafiki, what's going on? I felt some strange sensations that I've never felt before."

"I just swung my staff at you twice," Rafiki replied, "the first one almost hit you on the left side of your head. The second one almost tripped you off your feet, but you hopped in the air and I missed."

"Wait, what just happened to me?" Kital was starting to get freaked out.

"It's simple," Rafiki replied, "your meditation has greatly increased your senses. You can now sense things that were not recognized before. I believe that you're starting to get the hang of this."

"Wow!" For a while, Kital was almost speechless. "Can we do this again?"

Kovu and his helpers stared, completely dumbfounded. "I wonder if I'm still dreaming," Kovu said to himself and gave himself a pinch, "Ow! I guess not."