Chapter 11: The King's counsel
"Simba calm down, what's wrong with you?" Nala asked, watching her mate pace back and forth. She sighed. "You're acting like you did when Kovu first arrived. You were just fine with Kitoko a day ago, now all of the sudden, a little detail to her markings comes up and you're acting all crazy." Nala shook her head.
Simba growled loudly. "She's no right," he growled. "No right at all," Nala sighed. "Simba, she-""She did know, I heard her tell Raimi." Nala sighed. "Yes, but she hadn't made any move to overtake us, and as Rafiki told you, the King's will reveal what time is hers."
"Nala, you're not understanding, Kiara is the rightful heir. She and Kovu are the rightful King and Queen, their cub or cubs will be the one to rule when their time has ended. There's just no room for Kitoko." Simba said, shaking his mighty mane. Nala slowly got to her feet and walked over to her mate.
"Simba, Kitoko poses no threat to us, she is just a young lioness, trying to survive in this world. She also happens to be your half sister and cousin, perhaps now that you know who she is, you should start treating her with the respect you first showed her hmm?" Simba sighed. Nala eyed him. "I suppose," he said with a heavy sigh.
Kitoko sighed as she walked along the river. Raimi walked beside her, letting the wind whirl around him. "It is beautiful here," he said. Kitoko nodded. "What's wrong?" Kitoko sighed and then shook her head. "Maybe it was a mistake to come here," she said. Raimi cocked his head to the side.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "I mean, when Simba found out, he freaked out, and well, I'm not even sure I want to rule!" Kitoko sighed. Raimi nodded.
"Well, Rafiki said you were meant to, but he didn't say when. Maybe the Kings were wrong," he offered.
"The King's are never wrong!" Once again Rafiki had popped up unexpectedly. His finger was pushing into Raimi's nose, his eyes frowning. Raimi looked shocked for a moment, he hadn't seen the shaman yet, and now seeing him, and having him right in his face was a bit of a shock.
"Ok, ok" Raimi said, backing up and putting a paw to his nose. "Kitoko, do not doubt the Kings, do not doubt yourself, times are hard for you, but the sky will brighten, just you wait and see." He smiled, cupping Kitoko's face in his hands. Kitoko sighed.
Raimi was still rubbing his nose, scrunching it up. Rafiki sighed. "Oh stop, I din poke you dat hard!" Raimi frowned. "What if I don't want to rule?" Kitoko said, looking from Raimi to Rafiki.
Rafiki smiled. "It is destiny, you will see in time." "Rafiki! Wait!" Kitoko called, roaring after him. She whirled and then took off, following the rustle the grass made as he maneuvered through it.
"I'll meet you at pride rock!" Raimi's voice was distant, for Kitoko was already far away from him. She ran at full speed after him, running faster and faster trying to catch up with him.
"Rafiki!" she called. "Rafiki wait!" The rustling stopped and Kitoko slowed. She crouched down and then crept forward slowly. Finally she pounced forward and landed in water, the water reaching up and splashing her face.
Kitoko shook herself and then looked around. Fog had descended upon the area; all she could see was gray swirling clouds of fog. She had no idea where she was. "Rafiki?" she called out. "Rafiki this isn't funny," She looked around, ears up, listening for any rustle, any shift of the wind that might indicate where the baboon was hiding.
"Neither are you," Kitoko jumped and then whirled around. "Wh-who said that?" she said. "I did," the voice was masculine, deep and husky. She stopped when her eyes settled on a form materializing out of the fog. It was a muscular male lion.
He was a cloud formation, and Kitoko knew he was dead, but returning to earth for once. She froze, paw held in midair for a moment. "Who are you?" she asked. The lion smiled as more forms appeared around him. All seemed to be standing on some sort of rock formation. "I am the Great King Mohatu." He said. Kitoko held her breath. She was speaking to Mohatu? The one who had first founded pride rock? She slowly let out her breath.
"So, you don't appreciate our gift?" A lion on a lower rock said. He was lying down; his paws crossed one over the top of the other. "Gift?" Mohatu stepped forward again.
"The paw prints," he said. Kitoko looked down at her shoulder. "I appreciate it," she said defensively. The lion on the lower rock shook his head. "Then why don't you want to rule? It is your destiny," Kitoko shook her head. "But I'm the daughter of, of..." The lion on the lower rock stepped forward once more.
"Of my son, Taka, yes," he glanced at Sarabi, who had materialized next to her mate. "Taka wanted you to be the heir, so we granted his wish, you are to rule, and you will, when the time comes," Ahadi said. Kitoko shook her head.
"When the time comes, that's all anyone will say. When is the time? How will I know?" The King's laughed for a moment. "You will know, for you will be granted a special vision, a vision that will let you know it's time," Kitoko was puzzled once more.
"A vision? What do you mean? Why? I don't understand!" But the King's were already beginning to disappear, their cloudy formations beginning to thin. "NO! Don't go!" Kitoko yelled. "You will know when it is time, trust your instincts," Sarabi said, her spirit gliding over and rubbing against Kitoko before disappearing completely.
Kitoko sighed. "I'm so confused," she sighed. Then she sat, letting the water ripple around her. The wind blew against her, seeming to push her forward, but Kitoko stayed where she was. "It's time to go home," Kitoko looked up and saw Rafiki, standing on a rock nearby her.
She growled. "My home is in the jungle," she said. Rafiki shook his head. "Your home is in the pride lands now," Kitoko shook her head. "NO! I'm not a pride lander; I don't know what I am. But I don't' belong here like all of you, I'm confused about my so called 'destiny.' I'm confused about my identity; I never should have come to the pride lands. I should have just stayed in the jungle, if my mom really wanted me to be here, she would have brought me here!" Kitoko then bounded out of the water and began to run as fast as she could. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she wanted to be far away from everyone and everything at that point....
"Simba calm down, what's wrong with you?" Nala asked, watching her mate pace back and forth. She sighed. "You're acting like you did when Kovu first arrived. You were just fine with Kitoko a day ago, now all of the sudden, a little detail to her markings comes up and you're acting all crazy." Nala shook her head.
Simba growled loudly. "She's no right," he growled. "No right at all," Nala sighed. "Simba, she-""She did know, I heard her tell Raimi." Nala sighed. "Yes, but she hadn't made any move to overtake us, and as Rafiki told you, the King's will reveal what time is hers."
"Nala, you're not understanding, Kiara is the rightful heir. She and Kovu are the rightful King and Queen, their cub or cubs will be the one to rule when their time has ended. There's just no room for Kitoko." Simba said, shaking his mighty mane. Nala slowly got to her feet and walked over to her mate.
"Simba, Kitoko poses no threat to us, she is just a young lioness, trying to survive in this world. She also happens to be your half sister and cousin, perhaps now that you know who she is, you should start treating her with the respect you first showed her hmm?" Simba sighed. Nala eyed him. "I suppose," he said with a heavy sigh.
Kitoko sighed as she walked along the river. Raimi walked beside her, letting the wind whirl around him. "It is beautiful here," he said. Kitoko nodded. "What's wrong?" Kitoko sighed and then shook her head. "Maybe it was a mistake to come here," she said. Raimi cocked his head to the side.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "I mean, when Simba found out, he freaked out, and well, I'm not even sure I want to rule!" Kitoko sighed. Raimi nodded.
"Well, Rafiki said you were meant to, but he didn't say when. Maybe the Kings were wrong," he offered.
"The King's are never wrong!" Once again Rafiki had popped up unexpectedly. His finger was pushing into Raimi's nose, his eyes frowning. Raimi looked shocked for a moment, he hadn't seen the shaman yet, and now seeing him, and having him right in his face was a bit of a shock.
"Ok, ok" Raimi said, backing up and putting a paw to his nose. "Kitoko, do not doubt the Kings, do not doubt yourself, times are hard for you, but the sky will brighten, just you wait and see." He smiled, cupping Kitoko's face in his hands. Kitoko sighed.
Raimi was still rubbing his nose, scrunching it up. Rafiki sighed. "Oh stop, I din poke you dat hard!" Raimi frowned. "What if I don't want to rule?" Kitoko said, looking from Raimi to Rafiki.
Rafiki smiled. "It is destiny, you will see in time." "Rafiki! Wait!" Kitoko called, roaring after him. She whirled and then took off, following the rustle the grass made as he maneuvered through it.
"I'll meet you at pride rock!" Raimi's voice was distant, for Kitoko was already far away from him. She ran at full speed after him, running faster and faster trying to catch up with him.
"Rafiki!" she called. "Rafiki wait!" The rustling stopped and Kitoko slowed. She crouched down and then crept forward slowly. Finally she pounced forward and landed in water, the water reaching up and splashing her face.
Kitoko shook herself and then looked around. Fog had descended upon the area; all she could see was gray swirling clouds of fog. She had no idea where she was. "Rafiki?" she called out. "Rafiki this isn't funny," She looked around, ears up, listening for any rustle, any shift of the wind that might indicate where the baboon was hiding.
"Neither are you," Kitoko jumped and then whirled around. "Wh-who said that?" she said. "I did," the voice was masculine, deep and husky. She stopped when her eyes settled on a form materializing out of the fog. It was a muscular male lion.
He was a cloud formation, and Kitoko knew he was dead, but returning to earth for once. She froze, paw held in midair for a moment. "Who are you?" she asked. The lion smiled as more forms appeared around him. All seemed to be standing on some sort of rock formation. "I am the Great King Mohatu." He said. Kitoko held her breath. She was speaking to Mohatu? The one who had first founded pride rock? She slowly let out her breath.
"So, you don't appreciate our gift?" A lion on a lower rock said. He was lying down; his paws crossed one over the top of the other. "Gift?" Mohatu stepped forward again.
"The paw prints," he said. Kitoko looked down at her shoulder. "I appreciate it," she said defensively. The lion on the lower rock shook his head. "Then why don't you want to rule? It is your destiny," Kitoko shook her head. "But I'm the daughter of, of..." The lion on the lower rock stepped forward once more.
"Of my son, Taka, yes," he glanced at Sarabi, who had materialized next to her mate. "Taka wanted you to be the heir, so we granted his wish, you are to rule, and you will, when the time comes," Ahadi said. Kitoko shook her head.
"When the time comes, that's all anyone will say. When is the time? How will I know?" The King's laughed for a moment. "You will know, for you will be granted a special vision, a vision that will let you know it's time," Kitoko was puzzled once more.
"A vision? What do you mean? Why? I don't understand!" But the King's were already beginning to disappear, their cloudy formations beginning to thin. "NO! Don't go!" Kitoko yelled. "You will know when it is time, trust your instincts," Sarabi said, her spirit gliding over and rubbing against Kitoko before disappearing completely.
Kitoko sighed. "I'm so confused," she sighed. Then she sat, letting the water ripple around her. The wind blew against her, seeming to push her forward, but Kitoko stayed where she was. "It's time to go home," Kitoko looked up and saw Rafiki, standing on a rock nearby her.
She growled. "My home is in the jungle," she said. Rafiki shook his head. "Your home is in the pride lands now," Kitoko shook her head. "NO! I'm not a pride lander; I don't know what I am. But I don't' belong here like all of you, I'm confused about my so called 'destiny.' I'm confused about my identity; I never should have come to the pride lands. I should have just stayed in the jungle, if my mom really wanted me to be here, she would have brought me here!" Kitoko then bounded out of the water and began to run as fast as she could. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she wanted to be far away from everyone and everything at that point....