Chapter 9: Look out, Kital!
A new day has come over the Pridelands. The morning sun bringing in some fresh warmth for the entire day. Though Kital couldn't see the sun, its warmth was enough to wake him up from under Rafiki's tree to start the new day. Kital smelled the air and smelled some fresh meat nearby, possibly leftovers from Kovu, and felt around the ground for it. After a few seconds of groping around, he found the meat and started eating contently. When he finished eating, he felt the ground shaking slightly. He listened carefully and heard a rumbling sound to his left.
"Hey Rafiki," Kital called out, "what's happening? It sounds like a stampede or something."
Rafiki quickly woke up and noticed the rumbling as well. He looked very carefully towards the sound and saw a large herd of wildebeest approaching. They weren't coming directly at them, but Rafiki thought it's best to get out of the way just in case. Kovu and his helpers also woke up from the ruckus and noticed the approaching herd. Rafiki and the lions also saw a few lionesses running by the wildebeest. Kiara was one of them, and obviously they're on the hunt. However, they don't seem to be doing very well.
Kovu and his helpers sprung up and decided to help. Perhaps they could at least divert the herd away from the area, because they noticed that the herd has shifted course and were now headed directly for Rafiki and Kital! Rafiki jumped up into his tree for safety, but his hyena student may not as safe. Even Rafiki didn't exactly know where the wildebeest would pass by, and by the time he does know, it will be too late to warn the hyena. And if Kital were to know where he should move to avoid the herd, he would have to make at least a quick meditation and concentrate, but with this noise that will be difficult.
Kovu and his two helpers managed to arrive at the herd and divert it just enough to barely pass by the tree without any danger to Rafiki or Kital. The sound of all the wildebeest was deafening though. Unfortunately, one wildebeest was slightly away from the herd and was headed straight for Kital! Rafiki saw this from his tree and was about to yell out to Kital to watch out, but before he could, his hyena student did something that astounded him.
Just before the wildebeest impacted Kital, he jumped very high into the air and the wildebeest ran right under him! After he landed back on the ground, the wildebeest continued running off with rest of the herd. Seeing that the danger had passed, Rafiki jumped out of his tree to congratulate his student. He started wondering how Kital sensed the wildebeest approaching even though he didn't heighten his senses yet. Before Rafiki reached Kital, he noticed something glowing under his long head fur and bangs.
"Uh, hey Rafiki." Kital was now completely freaked out. "Didn't I lose my eyesight some time ago?"
"Um, yes." Rafiki was starting to get freaked out as well.
"Then how come I can see you?" Kital started to lose control of himself and seemed very frightened.
"Is that so?" Rafiki calmed down and decided to use a very simple test, so Rafiki walked up to Kital to ask a simple question. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Rafiki put up four fingers.
"Duh, it's four," Kital sounded slightly insulted, "I can count you know. I'm as dumb as you think most hyenas are."
"Okay then." Rafiki stood on his hands and put up six toes, as if they were his fingers. "Now how many fingers am I holding up?"
"Um, those aren't your fingers." Kital now sounded very insulted. "Look, are you trying to make fun of me? I almost got ran over by a wildebeest with a sprained leg!"
"Wow," Rafiki said, astonished, "how did you know that wildebeest had a sprained leg? You know, there's something glowing on your forehead. Let me take a look."
Kital lowered his head and allowed Rafiki to brush away the head fur and bangs from his forehead. The baboon shaman was very impressed at what he saw, it was just like in his dream and visions. Kital's birthmark on his forehead was glowing brightly. It also didn't look like an ordinary spot anymore, it looked more like a glowing eyeball. (Somewhat similar to Yu-Gi's glowing eye from Yu-Gi-Oh, assuming that you've seen it of course).
"It's strange," Kital said, "it's like I can see better than I ever had before. I even saw the way that wildebeest was moving and somehow I knew it was limping. In fact, I think it's more broken then sprained. I even felt its heart beating and I think that it's having a heart attack." He then spoke to Kovu who just returned, "I think one of the wildebeest may be unconscious. He you follow the direction where the herd ran to, you might find it and have an easy meal."
Kovu had a very puzzled look and didn't quite believe what he just heard. He looked at Rafiki and saw him nodding in agreement. Kovu quickly called his two assistants and they ran over to the exhausted lionesses to tell them what Kital just said.
"Hey, Kital," Rafiki asked, "how do you feel right now?"
"It feels very weird," Kital replied, "it feels......(groans)......I feel kind of lightheaded." The glowing on his forehead died down, leaving his birthmark in its place. Kital suddenly lost his balance and fell flat on his side and lost consciousness.
"Kital! Wake up! Hey, you all right." Rafiki tapped his staff on the unconscious hyena's head, yet he didn't even move. He heard the hyena breathing, so he was still alive.