Chapter 10: Brothers at Last
After a few moments, Mtundu and Mohatu managed to catch their breath. Mtundu turned to Mohatu and smiled slyly. "Well," he said, still panting a bit, "at least you're not all skin and bones anymore."
Mohatu laughed a bit. He couldn't even describe how he felt. His brother, who had long since been his rival, was now acting as a true brother would act. Mohatu didn't know what made Mtundu change, but he couldn't be more grateful. "Thank you," he said.
"Mtundu, what have you done?"
Mtundu and Mohatu both turned their heads to see and angry Onevu storming towards them. Mohatu began to draw back a bit, but Mtundu gave Mohatu the look that clearly said `stay put'. With a gulp, Mohatu braced himself. Onevu positioned himself so that he was looming over Mtundu in a dominant manner. "Have you no sense at all?"
Mtundu just glared at Onevu. Onevu growled impatiently. "Well?" he exclaimed. He shot a look at Mohatu. "He kills your mother and you're just going to let him get away with it?"
Mtundu stared defiantly at Onevu. "He didn't kill Mother."
Onevu was silent for a moment. He then drew closer to Mtundu, his face only inches from Mtundu's own. "Excuse me?"
"Did I stutter?" Mtundu snarled cockily.
Onevu drew back a bit. His claws twitched, and Mohatu knew that as a sure sign that Onevu was growing dangerously close to hitting his son. "We both caught him at the scene of the crime," Onevu started quietly, "is that correct, Mtundu?"
"That's correct," Mtundu replied.
"So, what more proof do you need?"
"I have reasonable evidence to deny Mohatu's guilt."
Onevu's face twisted with rage, and he raised his paw, ready to strike Mtundu down. Mtundu looked up, unafraid. "And that evidence happens to be written all over your paw."
Onevu paused, and his face dropped. His eyes slowly drifted toward his paw, which was stained with Tiifu's blood. He had been caught red-handed. Literally.
Mtundu smiled triumphantly at Onevu, knowing that he had won. Mohatu watched, squirming with anticipation. He wondered what would happen next. This was proving to be the ultimate face-off between father and son.
Mtundu rose to his feet, and Onevu began to tremble. Mtundu now had the upper hand, and Onevu knew it. Fear filled his eyes. His mouth began to fall open. "Now, now Mtundu," he started, "let's not jump to conclusions..."
"Since I have found reasonable evidence that you have murdered my mother--," Mtundu started, rising to his feet.
"Mtundu, hold on," Onevu muttered, drawing back.
"--I, as prince and rightful heir to the throne--"
"Let's not be hasty." Onevu laughed nervously.
"--I charge you with the murder of the Queen--"
Onevu gulped. He suddenly felt his rear end hit rock. He turned around to see that he had been cornered against a wall. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. He had no alibi.
"--which is punishable by death."
Onevu began to shake violently. Mtundu raised his paw menacingly over his head, ready to deliver the blow that would kill his father. Onevu clenched his eyes shut and waited for the final blow. Just as Mtundu was about to clout his father, he felt Mohatu's paw holding his arm back. "Mtundu, wait," Mohatu warned.
Mtundu turned to face his brother. "Mohatu, he's guilty," Mtundu replied, "he murdered our mother, and he needs to pay the price."
"Don't forget, Brother," Mohatu started, "murder is also punishable by terminal exile. Why kill him? That would make you no better than him. It's hypocrisy in it's worst form."
Mtundu stared at his brother. He had never known his brother to be so wise. Or so keen on pridal policy. Murder was, in fact, punishable by death, or exile. Exile would prevent any more spilled blood than had already occurred. The death of Queen Tiifu would certainly disrupt the order of the pride for awhile, but the death of both King and Queen would be a double blow to them.
"Fine," Mtundu replied. "It shall be so. Onevu, you are hereby banished from the Misty Lands. Return without royal authorization will result in death...you've been warned."
Onevu didn't need an invitation. With one last look at Mohatu, Onevu ran off in the direction of the border of the Misty Lands.
Mtundu stood on the ledge of the rock, watching boldly as his father disappeared over the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise, and hues of gold, orange and pink filled the young sky. Mtundu inhaled deeply. What a night.
Mohatu slowly approached his brother. "So, I guess this means you're king now," he pointed out.
Mtundu's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. With both Onevu and Tiifu gone, it was his duty to become king and carry out the royal duties. Though he had been enthusiastic about his royalty as a youngster, it had been out of sheer greed and hunger for power. Likely, this was because he had watched his father and taken lessons from him on royal duties, and Onevu had not been the wisest of kings. He realized that now. He also realized that being king wouldn't be fun and games. "I guess you're right," Mtundu said, somewhat distantly.
Mohatu immediately noticed the tone in Mtundu's voice. He expected that Mtundu would be jumping for joy by now. It was every male lion's dream to have a kingdom to call his own. So why was Mtundu so withdrawn about it? He gently nudged his brother. "What's wrong, Mtundu?" Mohatu asked. "You're King now. You have this whole kingdom all to yourself!"
Mtundu remained distant. "I know."
"So why so glum?"
Mtundu sighed. "It's just that," Mtundu replied, "this kingdom is huge. It covers God-only-knows how many miles, and I'm supposed to see to its tranquility? Me, one lion?" He sighed again and shook his head. "And quite frankly, Mohatu, after the way I treated you"--Mtundu's eyes grew dull and sad--"I doubt that I'm fit to be King."
There was a brief silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say. Mohatu couldn't deny Mtundu's previous cruelty, but couldn't find a way to convince Mtundu that he would be a better king than his predecessor. "Mtundu, I..." Mohatu started. He paused for a moment, trying to arrange his thoughts into words. "...I'll admit that you were very unfair to me in the past. But today, you were able to turn over a new leaf, and prove that you were capable of rising above what Dad made you. You believed me. You saved my life. You didn't let Dad manipulate your mind. You stood up to a higher rank than yourself to see to it that justice would win." Mtundu looked to Mohatu with inquisitve eyes. Mohatu smiled warmly. "Those are qualities that any good king would have."
A huge smile made its way onto Mtundu's lips, and Mtundu caught his brother off-guard by suddenly embracing him. "Thank you, my brother."
Suddenly, the moment was broken by the sound of several sets of paws running up the fortress of stone. They both turned to see Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi running toward them.
"Mohatu!" shouted Mzungu desparately. Mtundu quickly moved aside, and Mzungu fell into Mohatu, nuzzling him fiercely. "Mohatu, you're alright!"
Mohatu nuzzled her back, still a bit stunned by her sudden appearance. "Of...of course I am," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Mzungu didn't reply. She just began to purr loudly, and continued to nuzzle him. Ucheshi stepped forward. "We saw Onevu run off," he started. "He looked terrified."
"He had blood on his paws," Tuli continued, "and we figured that he must have hurt someone."
"We looked up and saw you two up here," Yolanda continued, gaze shifting from Mohatu to Mtundu, "and thought there must be some kind of trouble."
Mohatu looked over to Mtundu, who was aloof from the scene. Tuli, Ucheshi and Yolanda were all giving him the same skeptical look, and Mohatu didn't doubt for a second that it was making Mtundu uneasy. "No, no trouble," Mohatu replied, a smile playing on his lips. "Mtundu and I were just discussing his new kingdom."
Yolanda, Tuli and Uchesi gasped, and exchanged looks of terror. Even Mzungu drew back and stared at Mohatu as if he had lost his mind. "What?" she exclaimed.
"No, no need for alarm," Mohatu said quickly. "Let me tell you what happened."
So Mohatu told the whole tale: how he had arrived to find Tiifu dead to how Mtundu forced Onevu to step down. The four followed Mohatu's story, hanging intently on each and every word. Occassionally, they would look over at Mtundu, but kept their ears on Mohatu's words.
"...and that's what happened," Mohatu finished. He looked over at Mtundu with a smile. "Still want to kill him?"
Mzungu shook her head. "It's all very perplexing," she replied, "it's not that we don't believe you...but this is about the last thing we expected to happen."
Mtundu finally stepped forward and stood before the other five lions. "And I wish it hadn't happened as late as it did," Mtundu replied, "I should have realized the error of my behavior long ago, and Dad should have been banished long ago. Maybe even killed." Mtundu closed his eyes painfully. "It kills me to think that if I had just showed a bit more empathy toward Mohatu and stood up to Dad, Mother would still be alive today."
The others nodded, not in agreement, but in empathy towards Mtundu's own guilt. Mohatu drew closer to his brother. "Don't blame yourself," he said softly.
"It's hard not to," Mtundu replied. He opened his eyes. "But what's past is past. Now we need to see to the future." Ucheshi, Tuli, Mzungu and Yolanda nodded and muttered in agreement. "Now, I'm sure that you'll all agree that the Misty Lands are vast. Many miles, many potential dangers...far to much for an amateur king like myself to handle."
Again, the four nodded. Mtundu nodded his approval. "Now, since we are all in agreement on that, I've made a decision," he started, "I've treated Mohatu horribly in the past. I know that there's no way I can take it back, but I can mend the wounds and make things the way they should be." Mtundu turned to Mohatu. "Mohatu, you will rule with me. Side by side, we'll see to the safety and justice of the Misty Lands."
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi gaped. Mohatu himself looked surprised. "Mtundu, I...don't know what to say," he started.
"A simple `yes' will suffice," Mtundu said with a grin.
Mohatu smiled. "Yes."
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi sat back and watched the scene play out. Half bewildered, and half touched by the sentimental moment. It seemed so ironic. Two brothers who had been enemies since cubhood had finally learned to accept and perhaps even like eachother. Now they would be ruling together. Things were finally the way they should have been to begin with.
* * * *
Mohatu and Mtundu stood atop Misty Rock looking down upon their kingdom. All the pride had gathered for the ocassion and were sitting just below the peak, staring up at the two, anticipating the start of the ceremony.
Mohatu looked down at the pride from the peak of Misty Rock. They all trusted him now. They all accepted him. And best of all, he no longer found an enemy and tormentor in his brother.
Standing in front of the rest of the pride was Mzungu, Yolanda, Tuli and Ucheshi. They looked up at him, smiling knowingly. Mohatu smiled back. He then looked at Mzungu. She was smiling, but he saw something beyond that smile. Tenderness. Trust. Happiness. Love?
At that moment, all uncertainty left his mind. He was in love with Mzungu. Not a crush, like it had been in the past, but true, real love.
Mohatu let out an amorous sigh. Mtundu looked over at his brother. He then followed Mohatu's gaze, and smiled knowingly. "You okay, Mohatu?" Mtundu asked jokingly. Mohatu snapped out of his state and looked at Mtundu questioningly. "You look a little light-headed," Mtundu said.
Mohatu laughed a bit and smiled. "Naw. I'm fine."
Mtundu raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Shall we begin?"
Mohatu looked back to Mzungu and nodded. Mtundu just shook his head and approached the edge of Misty Rock. He took a moment to look down at the pride. They were under his control now. They were his responsibility. It was his duty to see to their well-being, as well as the well-being of the rest of the kingdom. Trying to suppress a worried look that was begging to emerge, Mtundu inhaled deeply. But he wouldn't do it alone. He had his brother, Mohatu, to rule with him at his side.
Filled with a new sense of confidence, Mtundu roared, symbolizing his inheritance of the kingdom. The pride roared back. Mtundu looked over to Mohatu, who was looking quite uncertain about the whole ordeal. With a grin, Mtundu nudged his brother. Mohatu, surprised by Mtundu's sudden action, staggered a bit, then looked at him questioningly. Mtundu nodded to him. Mohatu gulped, and began to take slow, tentative steps toward the ledge of Misty Rock. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, Mohatu roared. He paused, surprised by how powerful his roar had sounded. Mtundu smiled at Mohatu's reaction as the pride roared in return.
A smile came upon Mohatu's face. He and Mtundu exchanged a brief look, then both split the air with a dul-noted roar. The pride joined in on the chorus. Once the roaring had ceased, Mohatu looked down at his new subjects. Among them were Tuli, Yolanda, Ucheshi and Mzungu. Upon noticing his gaze, Tuli, Yolanda and Ucheshi smiled up at their king and bowed respectfully. Mohatu smiled back, then turned to Mzungu. Mzungu smiled warmly and bowed her head.
Mohatu was pulled out of his moment when Mtundu playfully shoved him. Mohatu gave a small laugh and shoved him back.
Filled with a sense of ecstasy he couldn't find the words to describe, Mohatu looked up to the sky, and felt his mother's presence. "Don't worry, Mother," he whispered, "everything is fine now. Just look around and see."
A gentle breeze made its way through Mohatu's half-mane, and Mohatu closed his eyes, smiling. Yes, everything was as it should be.
After a few moments, Mtundu and Mohatu managed to catch their breath. Mtundu turned to Mohatu and smiled slyly. "Well," he said, still panting a bit, "at least you're not all skin and bones anymore."
Mohatu laughed a bit. He couldn't even describe how he felt. His brother, who had long since been his rival, was now acting as a true brother would act. Mohatu didn't know what made Mtundu change, but he couldn't be more grateful. "Thank you," he said.
"Mtundu, what have you done?"
Mtundu and Mohatu both turned their heads to see and angry Onevu storming towards them. Mohatu began to draw back a bit, but Mtundu gave Mohatu the look that clearly said `stay put'. With a gulp, Mohatu braced himself. Onevu positioned himself so that he was looming over Mtundu in a dominant manner. "Have you no sense at all?"
Mtundu just glared at Onevu. Onevu growled impatiently. "Well?" he exclaimed. He shot a look at Mohatu. "He kills your mother and you're just going to let him get away with it?"
Mtundu stared defiantly at Onevu. "He didn't kill Mother."
Onevu was silent for a moment. He then drew closer to Mtundu, his face only inches from Mtundu's own. "Excuse me?"
"Did I stutter?" Mtundu snarled cockily.
Onevu drew back a bit. His claws twitched, and Mohatu knew that as a sure sign that Onevu was growing dangerously close to hitting his son. "We both caught him at the scene of the crime," Onevu started quietly, "is that correct, Mtundu?"
"That's correct," Mtundu replied.
"So, what more proof do you need?"
"I have reasonable evidence to deny Mohatu's guilt."
Onevu's face twisted with rage, and he raised his paw, ready to strike Mtundu down. Mtundu looked up, unafraid. "And that evidence happens to be written all over your paw."
Onevu paused, and his face dropped. His eyes slowly drifted toward his paw, which was stained with Tiifu's blood. He had been caught red-handed. Literally.
Mtundu smiled triumphantly at Onevu, knowing that he had won. Mohatu watched, squirming with anticipation. He wondered what would happen next. This was proving to be the ultimate face-off between father and son.
Mtundu rose to his feet, and Onevu began to tremble. Mtundu now had the upper hand, and Onevu knew it. Fear filled his eyes. His mouth began to fall open. "Now, now Mtundu," he started, "let's not jump to conclusions..."
"Since I have found reasonable evidence that you have murdered my mother--," Mtundu started, rising to his feet.
"Mtundu, hold on," Onevu muttered, drawing back.
"--I, as prince and rightful heir to the throne--"
"Let's not be hasty." Onevu laughed nervously.
"--I charge you with the murder of the Queen--"
Onevu gulped. He suddenly felt his rear end hit rock. He turned around to see that he had been cornered against a wall. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. He had no alibi.
"--which is punishable by death."
Onevu began to shake violently. Mtundu raised his paw menacingly over his head, ready to deliver the blow that would kill his father. Onevu clenched his eyes shut and waited for the final blow. Just as Mtundu was about to clout his father, he felt Mohatu's paw holding his arm back. "Mtundu, wait," Mohatu warned.
Mtundu turned to face his brother. "Mohatu, he's guilty," Mtundu replied, "he murdered our mother, and he needs to pay the price."
"Don't forget, Brother," Mohatu started, "murder is also punishable by terminal exile. Why kill him? That would make you no better than him. It's hypocrisy in it's worst form."
Mtundu stared at his brother. He had never known his brother to be so wise. Or so keen on pridal policy. Murder was, in fact, punishable by death, or exile. Exile would prevent any more spilled blood than had already occurred. The death of Queen Tiifu would certainly disrupt the order of the pride for awhile, but the death of both King and Queen would be a double blow to them.
"Fine," Mtundu replied. "It shall be so. Onevu, you are hereby banished from the Misty Lands. Return without royal authorization will result in death...you've been warned."
Onevu didn't need an invitation. With one last look at Mohatu, Onevu ran off in the direction of the border of the Misty Lands.
Mtundu stood on the ledge of the rock, watching boldly as his father disappeared over the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise, and hues of gold, orange and pink filled the young sky. Mtundu inhaled deeply. What a night.
Mohatu slowly approached his brother. "So, I guess this means you're king now," he pointed out.
Mtundu's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. With both Onevu and Tiifu gone, it was his duty to become king and carry out the royal duties. Though he had been enthusiastic about his royalty as a youngster, it had been out of sheer greed and hunger for power. Likely, this was because he had watched his father and taken lessons from him on royal duties, and Onevu had not been the wisest of kings. He realized that now. He also realized that being king wouldn't be fun and games. "I guess you're right," Mtundu said, somewhat distantly.
Mohatu immediately noticed the tone in Mtundu's voice. He expected that Mtundu would be jumping for joy by now. It was every male lion's dream to have a kingdom to call his own. So why was Mtundu so withdrawn about it? He gently nudged his brother. "What's wrong, Mtundu?" Mohatu asked. "You're King now. You have this whole kingdom all to yourself!"
Mtundu remained distant. "I know."
"So why so glum?"
Mtundu sighed. "It's just that," Mtundu replied, "this kingdom is huge. It covers God-only-knows how many miles, and I'm supposed to see to its tranquility? Me, one lion?" He sighed again and shook his head. "And quite frankly, Mohatu, after the way I treated you"--Mtundu's eyes grew dull and sad--"I doubt that I'm fit to be King."
There was a brief silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say. Mohatu couldn't deny Mtundu's previous cruelty, but couldn't find a way to convince Mtundu that he would be a better king than his predecessor. "Mtundu, I..." Mohatu started. He paused for a moment, trying to arrange his thoughts into words. "...I'll admit that you were very unfair to me in the past. But today, you were able to turn over a new leaf, and prove that you were capable of rising above what Dad made you. You believed me. You saved my life. You didn't let Dad manipulate your mind. You stood up to a higher rank than yourself to see to it that justice would win." Mtundu looked to Mohatu with inquisitve eyes. Mohatu smiled warmly. "Those are qualities that any good king would have."
A huge smile made its way onto Mtundu's lips, and Mtundu caught his brother off-guard by suddenly embracing him. "Thank you, my brother."
Suddenly, the moment was broken by the sound of several sets of paws running up the fortress of stone. They both turned to see Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi running toward them.
"Mohatu!" shouted Mzungu desparately. Mtundu quickly moved aside, and Mzungu fell into Mohatu, nuzzling him fiercely. "Mohatu, you're alright!"
Mohatu nuzzled her back, still a bit stunned by her sudden appearance. "Of...of course I am," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Mzungu didn't reply. She just began to purr loudly, and continued to nuzzle him. Ucheshi stepped forward. "We saw Onevu run off," he started. "He looked terrified."
"He had blood on his paws," Tuli continued, "and we figured that he must have hurt someone."
"We looked up and saw you two up here," Yolanda continued, gaze shifting from Mohatu to Mtundu, "and thought there must be some kind of trouble."
Mohatu looked over to Mtundu, who was aloof from the scene. Tuli, Ucheshi and Yolanda were all giving him the same skeptical look, and Mohatu didn't doubt for a second that it was making Mtundu uneasy. "No, no trouble," Mohatu replied, a smile playing on his lips. "Mtundu and I were just discussing his new kingdom."
Yolanda, Tuli and Uchesi gasped, and exchanged looks of terror. Even Mzungu drew back and stared at Mohatu as if he had lost his mind. "What?" she exclaimed.
"No, no need for alarm," Mohatu said quickly. "Let me tell you what happened."
So Mohatu told the whole tale: how he had arrived to find Tiifu dead to how Mtundu forced Onevu to step down. The four followed Mohatu's story, hanging intently on each and every word. Occassionally, they would look over at Mtundu, but kept their ears on Mohatu's words.
"...and that's what happened," Mohatu finished. He looked over at Mtundu with a smile. "Still want to kill him?"
Mzungu shook her head. "It's all very perplexing," she replied, "it's not that we don't believe you...but this is about the last thing we expected to happen."
Mtundu finally stepped forward and stood before the other five lions. "And I wish it hadn't happened as late as it did," Mtundu replied, "I should have realized the error of my behavior long ago, and Dad should have been banished long ago. Maybe even killed." Mtundu closed his eyes painfully. "It kills me to think that if I had just showed a bit more empathy toward Mohatu and stood up to Dad, Mother would still be alive today."
The others nodded, not in agreement, but in empathy towards Mtundu's own guilt. Mohatu drew closer to his brother. "Don't blame yourself," he said softly.
"It's hard not to," Mtundu replied. He opened his eyes. "But what's past is past. Now we need to see to the future." Ucheshi, Tuli, Mzungu and Yolanda nodded and muttered in agreement. "Now, I'm sure that you'll all agree that the Misty Lands are vast. Many miles, many potential dangers...far to much for an amateur king like myself to handle."
Again, the four nodded. Mtundu nodded his approval. "Now, since we are all in agreement on that, I've made a decision," he started, "I've treated Mohatu horribly in the past. I know that there's no way I can take it back, but I can mend the wounds and make things the way they should be." Mtundu turned to Mohatu. "Mohatu, you will rule with me. Side by side, we'll see to the safety and justice of the Misty Lands."
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi gaped. Mohatu himself looked surprised. "Mtundu, I...don't know what to say," he started.
"A simple `yes' will suffice," Mtundu said with a grin.
Mohatu smiled. "Yes."
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi sat back and watched the scene play out. Half bewildered, and half touched by the sentimental moment. It seemed so ironic. Two brothers who had been enemies since cubhood had finally learned to accept and perhaps even like eachother. Now they would be ruling together. Things were finally the way they should have been to begin with.
* * * *
Mohatu and Mtundu stood atop Misty Rock looking down upon their kingdom. All the pride had gathered for the ocassion and were sitting just below the peak, staring up at the two, anticipating the start of the ceremony.
Mohatu looked down at the pride from the peak of Misty Rock. They all trusted him now. They all accepted him. And best of all, he no longer found an enemy and tormentor in his brother.
Standing in front of the rest of the pride was Mzungu, Yolanda, Tuli and Ucheshi. They looked up at him, smiling knowingly. Mohatu smiled back. He then looked at Mzungu. She was smiling, but he saw something beyond that smile. Tenderness. Trust. Happiness. Love?
At that moment, all uncertainty left his mind. He was in love with Mzungu. Not a crush, like it had been in the past, but true, real love.
Mohatu let out an amorous sigh. Mtundu looked over at his brother. He then followed Mohatu's gaze, and smiled knowingly. "You okay, Mohatu?" Mtundu asked jokingly. Mohatu snapped out of his state and looked at Mtundu questioningly. "You look a little light-headed," Mtundu said.
Mohatu laughed a bit and smiled. "Naw. I'm fine."
Mtundu raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Shall we begin?"
Mohatu looked back to Mzungu and nodded. Mtundu just shook his head and approached the edge of Misty Rock. He took a moment to look down at the pride. They were under his control now. They were his responsibility. It was his duty to see to their well-being, as well as the well-being of the rest of the kingdom. Trying to suppress a worried look that was begging to emerge, Mtundu inhaled deeply. But he wouldn't do it alone. He had his brother, Mohatu, to rule with him at his side.
Filled with a new sense of confidence, Mtundu roared, symbolizing his inheritance of the kingdom. The pride roared back. Mtundu looked over to Mohatu, who was looking quite uncertain about the whole ordeal. With a grin, Mtundu nudged his brother. Mohatu, surprised by Mtundu's sudden action, staggered a bit, then looked at him questioningly. Mtundu nodded to him. Mohatu gulped, and began to take slow, tentative steps toward the ledge of Misty Rock. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, Mohatu roared. He paused, surprised by how powerful his roar had sounded. Mtundu smiled at Mohatu's reaction as the pride roared in return.
A smile came upon Mohatu's face. He and Mtundu exchanged a brief look, then both split the air with a dul-noted roar. The pride joined in on the chorus. Once the roaring had ceased, Mohatu looked down at his new subjects. Among them were Tuli, Yolanda, Ucheshi and Mzungu. Upon noticing his gaze, Tuli, Yolanda and Ucheshi smiled up at their king and bowed respectfully. Mohatu smiled back, then turned to Mzungu. Mzungu smiled warmly and bowed her head.
Mohatu was pulled out of his moment when Mtundu playfully shoved him. Mohatu gave a small laugh and shoved him back.
Filled with a sense of ecstasy he couldn't find the words to describe, Mohatu looked up to the sky, and felt his mother's presence. "Don't worry, Mother," he whispered, "everything is fine now. Just look around and see."
A gentle breeze made its way through Mohatu's half-mane, and Mohatu closed his eyes, smiling. Yes, everything was as it should be.