Chapter 4: Story time
Raimi stirred a bit in his sleep, his paw twitched, his tail slid across the dirt. His eyebrows pinched together for a moment and then went back to normal. A loud clap of thunder sounded and Raimi awoke instantly, sitting bolt upright with his ears perked forward in fright.
His breathing was heavy and fast. He looked around and his eyes settled on Sarabi. He cocked his head to one side curiously, where was Kitoko? He heard a rustle and then a moan and knew she was behind Sarabi. He turned once more and looked outside the little den.
Raimi heard the soft pit-pat of rain on the tree as it pelted the jungle. The rain hit a leaf, slid down it and dripped down onto another leaf. Raimi listened for a moment, his tail curled in thought. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later thunder boomed.
The rainy season had come once again. Raimi sighed as he watched the rain wash over the jungle and listened to the sounds it made, pit-pit-pat boom, pit-pit-pat boom. He sighed and began to hum along with the tune. He couldn't think of words so instead he just sat there humming.
Sarabi's ears perked forward and she lazily opened her eyes. She yawned and then turned to look at Raimi. "What're you doing?" she asked. Raimi turned to face her. "Humming," He said, getting up and walking back so he was closer to her. Sarabi nodded and sighed as she looked out at the rain and the storm.
Behind her Kitoko rolled over, bumping Sarabi's back. Kitoko awoke, finding her paw over her head. She pulled it off and sat up, shaking her head and then getting up and draping her paws over Sarabi's back. "What'd I miss?" she asked. Sarabi smiled.
"Nothing, I was just talking with Raimi." Sarabi replied. Kitoko nodded. Raimi smiled and then growled and cuffed Kitoko, causing her to tumble over Sarabi and land upside down beside him. Raimi laughed and Kitoko frowned. She rolled over and then pounced on Raimi, causing them to roll out into the rain. The water hit her coat and Kitoko jumped. She yelped as though she'd been stung and then ran back into the den. Raimi let the water wash over him for a minute before coming back in.
Sarabi was already giving Kitoko a bath. Raimi smiled and stood as close to the front of the den as possible. Then he shook himself to rid his coat of the excess water. It didn't work; Sarabi and Kitoko still got a little wet. Kitoko protested, but Sarabi only smiled as she continued to bathe her daughter. As she ran her rough sandpaper like tongue over Kitoko's smooth yet wet fur, an old memory came back to her...
Flashback
"MOM!" Simba protested loudly. Sarabi licked him again. "Mom, you're messing up my mane!" Simba growled. Sarabi stopped licking him and then smiled at him. Simba climbed out of her grasp and landed on the ground, fixing his little golden tuft. Sarabi couldn't help but smile down at him, as she watched him converse with his best friend Nala. "So where is this really cool place?" she asked casually, after eavesdropping.
End of flashback
Sarabi sighed and shook her head. "Mom?" Kitoko looked up. She was standing in front of Sarabi, her head cocked to the side with a curious look on her face. Raimi sat down not far from her, the same look on his face. Sarabi shook her head to clear it.
"I'm sorry, I just sorta zoned out." She said. Raimi and Kitoko looked at each other quizzically. "Hey Mom, can you tell us a story?" Kitoko said, rubbing affectionately up against Sarabi's shoulder. "Yeah, since we can't go play." Raimi said, looking out toward the jungle.
Sarabi smiled. "Sure," she said. The cubs settled in next to her stomach, Kitoko lying down with her paws resting lightly on Sarabi's arm. Raimi sat leaning slightly against Sarabi, rising and falling as Sarabi inhaled and exhaled.
The dark sandy gray lioness sighed and then turned and smiled at her little ones. She then told them about the circle of life, the great kings. She told Kitoko about Scar and the pride lands. Kitoko sat in shock for a moment and then looked back up at Sarabi with tears in her eyes.
Sarabi shook her head, "It's ok little one," she said, pulling the cub over to her into a tight lion like hug. Sarabi left out the fact that she had been queen. She left out the fact that Mufasa had been King. In fact, she left out Mufasa entirely. She also left out Simba.
She wasn't sure why, but she just couldn't tell Kitoko about her first born. Just like she couldn't tell Simba about Kitoko. Sarabi instead told the cubs of her cub hood, or parts of it. She didn't tell them of Mufasa, she didn't tell them of Scar, or Zira. She did tell them about Howler.
"Man, you didn't have a good life did you momma?" Kitoko said finally. Sarabi was near tears from the memories. This was the whole reason she had left the pride lands, to leave behind these memories. Kitoko's words cut right through her. She stood up, wiping her face with her paw. "You two stay here, I need to be alone for a minute." She then bounded out into the storm, not caring that her coat would be soaked completely through in a matter of seconds.
All she knew was that she had gone to far. She had relived the memories all over again. Kitoko knew who Scar was, Kitoko knew of the pride lands. Sarabi exhaled and inhaled deeply, sucking in the breaths as though they were her last. She sat down and let the rain pelt her coat.
After a while the rain stopped and Sarabi knew she was ready to go home. She turned and walked back, feeling a little light headed. Rafiki's words came crashing back to her, "If you leave, you must come back. Kitoko's true place is the pride lands, she is destined to be queen, else she would not be marked by the paws of the past Kings and queens."
Sarabi sighed again and then walked back, her spirits descending once more. She shook her head. In her heart she knew sooner or later she would have to take Kitoko to the pride lands, but surely Simba and Nala would have had a cub by now? The cub would be the true heir, not Kitoko. Sarabi sighed, the kings and queens had to have something special planned for her little Kitoko, whatever it was, Sarabi only hoped Kitoko would be happy in whatever was being planned for her...
End of Chapter 4 Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoyed this one, please review! Thanks for all the reviews so far! I love my reviewers, keep em' coming! Lol, chapter 5'll be up soon! TTFN! Bambi
Raimi stirred a bit in his sleep, his paw twitched, his tail slid across the dirt. His eyebrows pinched together for a moment and then went back to normal. A loud clap of thunder sounded and Raimi awoke instantly, sitting bolt upright with his ears perked forward in fright.
His breathing was heavy and fast. He looked around and his eyes settled on Sarabi. He cocked his head to one side curiously, where was Kitoko? He heard a rustle and then a moan and knew she was behind Sarabi. He turned once more and looked outside the little den.
Raimi heard the soft pit-pat of rain on the tree as it pelted the jungle. The rain hit a leaf, slid down it and dripped down onto another leaf. Raimi listened for a moment, his tail curled in thought. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later thunder boomed.
The rainy season had come once again. Raimi sighed as he watched the rain wash over the jungle and listened to the sounds it made, pit-pit-pat boom, pit-pit-pat boom. He sighed and began to hum along with the tune. He couldn't think of words so instead he just sat there humming.
Sarabi's ears perked forward and she lazily opened her eyes. She yawned and then turned to look at Raimi. "What're you doing?" she asked. Raimi turned to face her. "Humming," He said, getting up and walking back so he was closer to her. Sarabi nodded and sighed as she looked out at the rain and the storm.
Behind her Kitoko rolled over, bumping Sarabi's back. Kitoko awoke, finding her paw over her head. She pulled it off and sat up, shaking her head and then getting up and draping her paws over Sarabi's back. "What'd I miss?" she asked. Sarabi smiled.
"Nothing, I was just talking with Raimi." Sarabi replied. Kitoko nodded. Raimi smiled and then growled and cuffed Kitoko, causing her to tumble over Sarabi and land upside down beside him. Raimi laughed and Kitoko frowned. She rolled over and then pounced on Raimi, causing them to roll out into the rain. The water hit her coat and Kitoko jumped. She yelped as though she'd been stung and then ran back into the den. Raimi let the water wash over him for a minute before coming back in.
Sarabi was already giving Kitoko a bath. Raimi smiled and stood as close to the front of the den as possible. Then he shook himself to rid his coat of the excess water. It didn't work; Sarabi and Kitoko still got a little wet. Kitoko protested, but Sarabi only smiled as she continued to bathe her daughter. As she ran her rough sandpaper like tongue over Kitoko's smooth yet wet fur, an old memory came back to her...
Flashback
"MOM!" Simba protested loudly. Sarabi licked him again. "Mom, you're messing up my mane!" Simba growled. Sarabi stopped licking him and then smiled at him. Simba climbed out of her grasp and landed on the ground, fixing his little golden tuft. Sarabi couldn't help but smile down at him, as she watched him converse with his best friend Nala. "So where is this really cool place?" she asked casually, after eavesdropping.
End of flashback
Sarabi sighed and shook her head. "Mom?" Kitoko looked up. She was standing in front of Sarabi, her head cocked to the side with a curious look on her face. Raimi sat down not far from her, the same look on his face. Sarabi shook her head to clear it.
"I'm sorry, I just sorta zoned out." She said. Raimi and Kitoko looked at each other quizzically. "Hey Mom, can you tell us a story?" Kitoko said, rubbing affectionately up against Sarabi's shoulder. "Yeah, since we can't go play." Raimi said, looking out toward the jungle.
Sarabi smiled. "Sure," she said. The cubs settled in next to her stomach, Kitoko lying down with her paws resting lightly on Sarabi's arm. Raimi sat leaning slightly against Sarabi, rising and falling as Sarabi inhaled and exhaled.
The dark sandy gray lioness sighed and then turned and smiled at her little ones. She then told them about the circle of life, the great kings. She told Kitoko about Scar and the pride lands. Kitoko sat in shock for a moment and then looked back up at Sarabi with tears in her eyes.
Sarabi shook her head, "It's ok little one," she said, pulling the cub over to her into a tight lion like hug. Sarabi left out the fact that she had been queen. She left out the fact that Mufasa had been King. In fact, she left out Mufasa entirely. She also left out Simba.
She wasn't sure why, but she just couldn't tell Kitoko about her first born. Just like she couldn't tell Simba about Kitoko. Sarabi instead told the cubs of her cub hood, or parts of it. She didn't tell them of Mufasa, she didn't tell them of Scar, or Zira. She did tell them about Howler.
"Man, you didn't have a good life did you momma?" Kitoko said finally. Sarabi was near tears from the memories. This was the whole reason she had left the pride lands, to leave behind these memories. Kitoko's words cut right through her. She stood up, wiping her face with her paw. "You two stay here, I need to be alone for a minute." She then bounded out into the storm, not caring that her coat would be soaked completely through in a matter of seconds.
All she knew was that she had gone to far. She had relived the memories all over again. Kitoko knew who Scar was, Kitoko knew of the pride lands. Sarabi exhaled and inhaled deeply, sucking in the breaths as though they were her last. She sat down and let the rain pelt her coat.
After a while the rain stopped and Sarabi knew she was ready to go home. She turned and walked back, feeling a little light headed. Rafiki's words came crashing back to her, "If you leave, you must come back. Kitoko's true place is the pride lands, she is destined to be queen, else she would not be marked by the paws of the past Kings and queens."
Sarabi sighed again and then walked back, her spirits descending once more. She shook her head. In her heart she knew sooner or later she would have to take Kitoko to the pride lands, but surely Simba and Nala would have had a cub by now? The cub would be the true heir, not Kitoko. Sarabi sighed, the kings and queens had to have something special planned for her little Kitoko, whatever it was, Sarabi only hoped Kitoko would be happy in whatever was being planned for her...
End of Chapter 4 Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoyed this one, please review! Thanks for all the reviews so far! I love my reviewers, keep em' coming! Lol, chapter 5'll be up soon! TTFN! Bambi