Chapter 15: The vision
Kitoko awoke before the sun rose. Amalie was curled up close beside Raimi and both were sound asleep. The young lioness sighed deeply. The wind rustled through the grass and up over the trees. The wind was singing words the lioness couldn't understand, but she felt a certain pull toward Pride rock.
As she looked around, she saw all the animals who were awake begin to travel towards the rock. She sighed, leaned down and nuzzled Raimi before turning to stand against the wind. She took a deep breath and then started forward. She started at a walk, then turned to a faster walk, faster and faster until she was running flat out. Within seconds she had reached the rock. But instead of bounding up the steps like normal, she circled around the back and came in through a small hole.
Kitoko shook herself and then licked a few spots where her fur was standing on end. "Hey, she'll be glad you made it," Kitoko started at Nala's voice. Kitoko sighed and then tipped her ears forward.
"Made it to what?" She asked. Nala laughed softly.
"To the presentation of the cubs of course." Kitoko nodded.
"Oh," Kitoko said, watching Nala walk off. The sun was beginning to rise and the song Kitoko had heard earlier was getting louder and stronger. She took a few steps foward. Still shrowded in darkness, she felt the pull again. Today was the day, everything in her body told her so. She gulped. As she stepped out into the sunlight, the song's words became clear:
I They live in you
They live in me
In your reflection
They live in you
/I
The wind blew past her, almost knocking her down. She was breathing hard, she noticed. She watched as Rafiki climbed the steps, one at a time. He used his staff to help him along, placing it on one step and pushing upward. Near the tip of Pride rock were Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara. Kiara was laying down, with her two cubs nestled in between her paws while her family stood around her.
Kitoko lifted a paw and then set it back down. What was she doing here? The music of the wind beat in her ears, changing and swirling around her. Voices were swirling around her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Her eyes turned and saw the familiar face of Rafiki. "Be strong Kitoko," He nodded once and then turned, walking over to hug Kovu and Simba.
He then breathed in the wind, letting it wash over him. It whirled around then, blowing through both Kovu and Simba's manes and swirling around Nala and Kiara. Everything seemed to revolve around the wind, or the wind revolved around everything. It was then that Kitoko realized, this was not ordinary wind. It was the spirits of the great Kings, come down to worship the new heirs.
Once again Kitoko felt nausiated. She swallowed heavily. Rafiki cracked a passion fruit, and once again brought Kitoko out of a trance. She watched as he spread the juice of the fruit over the heads of the two cubs. He started with the male. The one who had been born first. He was a light brown color with darker brown spots on his head and shoulders. The female was a dark honey color, almost orange. A stripe much like her grandmother's ran from her forehead down to her shoulders. The stripe was black around the outside and a lighter orange color in the middle.
Rafiki smiled at Kiara and then picked up the male. He turned and, holding the cub close to his chest, walked to the tip of pride rock. Kitoko watched, ears pricked forward. Suddenly, Rafiki held the cub out and the animals who had gathered went crazy. Kitoko cowered a bit as the noise near deafened her. Monkey's screeched and clapped. Zebra's stomped their hooves and whinnyed. Elephants trumpeted their approval.
The noise was deafening. After a moment or two, Rafiki put the male down and replaced him with the female. He then walked to the tip of pride rock. Kitoko froze. Every step was like a beat of her heart. I duh-duhh, duh-duhh./I
Everything seemed to have slowed down into slow motion. The animals had quieted. Kiara and Kovu were staring happily up at Rafiki, waiting. Finally, he held the cub at arms length, and once more the crowd went wild.
But as he held her out, Kitoko froze and suddenly everything around her disappeared. In her mind a scene played before her:
IShe saw Amalie and Kiara's cubs running towards the gorge. They were playing, and didn't even realize how close they were. Kiara's female suddenly burst forward yelling, "Haha, can't catch me!" when Amalie shouted, "Zinani stop!" But it was to late, the young cub gasped as she tumbled over the edge. Her brother and Amalie skidded to a stop and watched. "Zinani!" Her brother called.
"Kioni!" Zinani shouted back. She rolled and tumbled, growling and yelping in pain. She then gasped as she saw a large jut of rock just ahead. As she hit it just above her eye, the world went black and the cub lost all consiousness.../I
"Kitoko!" Raimi yelled, catching his mate as she collapsed. The other lionesses all turned. The cermony was over now. Kiara, Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Rafiki all hurried over to Kitoko.
"Kitoko! Are you alright?" Kiara near shouted, nudging her. Rafiki knelt down and cradled Kitoko's face in his hands.
"Tell me chil' what did you see?" he asked, knowing full well that her vision had come to her. Kitoko struggled to see clearly. Everything was blurry and the scene kept replaying itself over and over inside her head. "Get me some water." Rafiki ordered. Two lioness ran off immediately.
"What's wrong with her?" Kiara asked. Rafiki sighed as he rubbed his hand over her pawprint. He then explained quickly about her vision and about her council with the great Kings. The group remained silent, keeping their opinions to themselves for a few minutes.
After a while, Simba growled. "So what does this mean then? That now that she's had her vision we have to give her the throne?" Rafiki shook his head.
"We'll let her tell us the vision, and then I will know more," Rafiki replied. After a minute or so the two lionesses returned with a leaf of water. Rafiki smiled. "Dank you." He said, taking the leaf. He set it on her forehead and let the water trickle down over her face.
Kitoko sputtered a bit as it entered her mouth. She then opened her eyes and looked up at the faces around her. "What did you see?" Rafiki repeated. Kitoko coughed again and then carefully sat up, her head hanging a bit.
She looked over at Kiara, at the cubs nestled near her paws. Her eyes rested on the one soon to be called Zinani. She then looked up at Kiara, a tear beginning to form in her eye. "I saw them, Amalie and your cubs all racing toward the gorge." she nodded toward the female. "She fell off the side..." Kiara gasped.
"NO!" she said, pulling the cubs close to her.
"I don't think she died though, I just think...well," Kitoko sighed, shaking her head.
"Spit it out," Kovu ordered.
"I think she's going to go blind..." The group went silent. Kiara pulled her cubs closer to her.
"Blind..." she murmured. Kovu nuzzled her.
"Rafiki, what does it mean?" Simba asked, turning toward the baboon. His eyes were a bit colder than usual.
"Kiara and Kovu will have thier paws full with the blind one. They will probably not have time to be King and Queen. And so, it is the Great King's desire that Kitoko and Raimi step in." Rafiki said.
Kovu growled. "NO! I forbid it. She will not be blind, and we will not give up the throne." Thunder rumbled in the distance. It was loud, and sounded almost like a growl from a mature lion.
Rafiki shook his head. "It is not for you to decide I'm afraid." Kovu gasped.
"But I am the King, I make the desicion of whether to step down or not. And as for Kitoko's 'vision' I will see to it that it doesn't come true. Zinani will not leave pride rock unless escorted by a lioness. And she will only play with Kioni and Amalie inside the den."
"Kovu, no. I will not make my daughter go through the same torture as I did," she shot a warning glare at Simba. "We will keep an eye on her, and show her the limits, but we will not confine her." Kovu sighed.
"Fine," he agreed. Kitoko sighed as she looked at the faces around her. Everyone was mad. And no one, not a one wanted her to rule. She felt like the whole world had been dropped onto her. Like everything was resting on her shoulders. She had told the fate of Zinani, and the vision had been real. Kitoko knew there was no way the King and Queen would be able to stop it. It was destiny and that was all there was to it.
AN: Ok, this is the last chapter to Sarabi's Kin. I will do a sequel, but probably not right away. I want to focus on some other writing of mine. If you really can't wait, I'll write the first chapter, but other than that, I have to take a break. So I hope you enjoyed Sarabi's Kin, and if you're a member of please tell me if you have any cover ideas for this story if it were made into a movie! Thanks!