Chapter 15
Sarabi slowed down after a while. She sighed as she walked along, memories swirling all around her. Once Pride Rock had been full of good memories. It had been lush with green grass and abundant with herds of all types of animals. Now it was gray and cloudy. And full of dark, painful memories.
The ex-queen shook her head as she reached pride rock. Simba and Nala would definitely improve things, but still Sarabi felt she couldn't stay. She knew she couldn't tell Simba about Kitoko. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't.
Sarabi took a deep breath and then softly padded up to the top of Pride rock. Simba was sitting on the edge, letting the wind ruffle his mane. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be thinking. Sarabi hated to interrupt his thoughts but she really needed to talk to him.
"Simba?" she said softly. Simba turned. He smiled at his mother. Then he frowned when he saw her pained expression. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sarabi slowly walked up and sat beside him. "I must go," she said. Simba gave a puzzled look. "What do you mean, 'go'?" Sarabi sighed and shook her head. She was trying hard not to cry.
"Pride rock is no longer something I want to be a part of my son. It is in the past, and the past is full of memories I'd rather not re-live. So please don't ask questions. Just know that I love you, and someday I will return." She nuzzled Simba under his chin. Simba smiled weakly. "Where will you go?" he asked. Sarabi shrugged. "I'll find my way, just so long as I'm away from here."
"What about food? How will you provide yourself? Perhaps I should send some lionesses with you." Simba offered. "No, this is something I must do alone. Do not send the other lionesses with me." Sarabi looked up at her son. Her eyes were watery as she said, "I have missed you greatly, but I must follow my heart, and my heart is not here anymore. I was the lead huntress, so long as there is a herd around I will have food. I love you Simba, and no matter where you go I will be with you, as will your father." Sarabi smiled at the thought as she felt the wind pick up and saw a few dandelion petals sweep by.
"But Mom, you're not dying are you?" Sarabi laughed. "No Simba, I'm not. Although when I lost both you and Mufasa and then Nala's mother, I sure felt ready. But I am alive Simba." She nuzzled him once more. "I must leave Simba. I promise to return someday." Simba nuzzled her under her chin and then stepped back, allowing her room. "I'll miss you," Simba said as Sarabi got up and turned. She stopped and smiled back at him. "Someday you'll understand why I had to leave," she said. With that, she turned and bounded down off of pride rock and then ran off toward Rafiki's tree...
Rafiki sighed as he cradled little Kitoko. The cub was sleeping soundly, her foot twitching every so often, indicating she was dreaming. "You're sure there is no other solution but to leave?" the old mandrill asked. Sarabi sighed. "I'm sure Rafiki." She turned to look out toward the pride lands. "They are full of bad memories now. The bad have overcome the good. I'm leaving Rafiki, and I'm not coming back until I'm sure I can face the past." Rafiki shrugged. "That past can hurt, but running from it will do nothing for you Sarabi."
Sarabi shrugged. "I know that, and I've faced it for as long as I can. Now I must go, I can't stay any longer Rafiki. Sarafina was right, we should've left as soon as Scar took over, then perhaps she would still be alive and none of this would have happened."
Rafiki traced a finger over Kitoko's leg. "You regret the birth of this one then?" he said slowly, glancing up to see Sarabi's reaction. Sarabi's eyes grew wide. "No! Of course I don't, I love her, but it's not the way I would've chosen her to come." Rafiki nodded. "Well then, you'd best be going. If I can't talk you out of running, I can at least rush you on." He held his arms out and Sarabi took little Kitoko into her mouth. Rafiki passed his hand over Sarabi's forehead. "Good luck to you," he whispered.
Sarabi smiled. Rafiki put his hands on his hips. "Well, on with you!" Sarabi smiled wider and then turned and took off, heading as far away from the pride lands as she possibly could. She would return, but not for a long time...
End of chapter 15*********************************************************
This is gonna be the end of Part 1, I decided to divide it into parts, so that it's not so many chapters, anyway end of Part 1, I will start Part 2 a.s.a.p! Well leave me a review, and thanks everyone who've reviewed so far! TTFN! Bambi
Sarabi slowed down after a while. She sighed as she walked along, memories swirling all around her. Once Pride Rock had been full of good memories. It had been lush with green grass and abundant with herds of all types of animals. Now it was gray and cloudy. And full of dark, painful memories.
The ex-queen shook her head as she reached pride rock. Simba and Nala would definitely improve things, but still Sarabi felt she couldn't stay. She knew she couldn't tell Simba about Kitoko. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't.
Sarabi took a deep breath and then softly padded up to the top of Pride rock. Simba was sitting on the edge, letting the wind ruffle his mane. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be thinking. Sarabi hated to interrupt his thoughts but she really needed to talk to him.
"Simba?" she said softly. Simba turned. He smiled at his mother. Then he frowned when he saw her pained expression. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sarabi slowly walked up and sat beside him. "I must go," she said. Simba gave a puzzled look. "What do you mean, 'go'?" Sarabi sighed and shook her head. She was trying hard not to cry.
"Pride rock is no longer something I want to be a part of my son. It is in the past, and the past is full of memories I'd rather not re-live. So please don't ask questions. Just know that I love you, and someday I will return." She nuzzled Simba under his chin. Simba smiled weakly. "Where will you go?" he asked. Sarabi shrugged. "I'll find my way, just so long as I'm away from here."
"What about food? How will you provide yourself? Perhaps I should send some lionesses with you." Simba offered. "No, this is something I must do alone. Do not send the other lionesses with me." Sarabi looked up at her son. Her eyes were watery as she said, "I have missed you greatly, but I must follow my heart, and my heart is not here anymore. I was the lead huntress, so long as there is a herd around I will have food. I love you Simba, and no matter where you go I will be with you, as will your father." Sarabi smiled at the thought as she felt the wind pick up and saw a few dandelion petals sweep by.
"But Mom, you're not dying are you?" Sarabi laughed. "No Simba, I'm not. Although when I lost both you and Mufasa and then Nala's mother, I sure felt ready. But I am alive Simba." She nuzzled him once more. "I must leave Simba. I promise to return someday." Simba nuzzled her under her chin and then stepped back, allowing her room. "I'll miss you," Simba said as Sarabi got up and turned. She stopped and smiled back at him. "Someday you'll understand why I had to leave," she said. With that, she turned and bounded down off of pride rock and then ran off toward Rafiki's tree...
Rafiki sighed as he cradled little Kitoko. The cub was sleeping soundly, her foot twitching every so often, indicating she was dreaming. "You're sure there is no other solution but to leave?" the old mandrill asked. Sarabi sighed. "I'm sure Rafiki." She turned to look out toward the pride lands. "They are full of bad memories now. The bad have overcome the good. I'm leaving Rafiki, and I'm not coming back until I'm sure I can face the past." Rafiki shrugged. "That past can hurt, but running from it will do nothing for you Sarabi."
Sarabi shrugged. "I know that, and I've faced it for as long as I can. Now I must go, I can't stay any longer Rafiki. Sarafina was right, we should've left as soon as Scar took over, then perhaps she would still be alive and none of this would have happened."
Rafiki traced a finger over Kitoko's leg. "You regret the birth of this one then?" he said slowly, glancing up to see Sarabi's reaction. Sarabi's eyes grew wide. "No! Of course I don't, I love her, but it's not the way I would've chosen her to come." Rafiki nodded. "Well then, you'd best be going. If I can't talk you out of running, I can at least rush you on." He held his arms out and Sarabi took little Kitoko into her mouth. Rafiki passed his hand over Sarabi's forehead. "Good luck to you," he whispered.
Sarabi smiled. Rafiki put his hands on his hips. "Well, on with you!" Sarabi smiled wider and then turned and took off, heading as far away from the pride lands as she possibly could. She would return, but not for a long time...
End of chapter 15*********************************************************
This is gonna be the end of Part 1, I decided to divide it into parts, so that it's not so many chapters, anyway end of Part 1, I will start Part 2 a.s.a.p! Well leave me a review, and thanks everyone who've reviewed so far! TTFN! Bambi