After Le Roi Lion (I love French!)
WARNING: This chapter is most of what gives the fan-fiction its rating.
Radhi continued to pray for Scar. Every night he grieved. But during the day, he was his old self. He now was more content playing with his old friends and little sister, and he spent the days in luxury.
"Hah! Fat chance!" Ke laughed.
"Betcha do!" Radhi challenged.
"Like? You? No way!" Ke licked his face, and nipped him playfully, nuzzling him.
He smiled. "You sure about that?"
Ke laughed. "Well..."
"Well then, girl! I got you!" They both laughed.
Radhi pounced Ke, and, giggling, they rolled down the hills and into a cluster of fallen leaves.
"Hmm..."
"Romantic, don't you think?" Radhi teased.
"Oh crap! You little... stop it!" But the more Ke thought of it, the more she knew her friend was right. Perhaps the two felt more than just a friendship. It was love. They had been seperated for years; and now that they were back together, they both realized how they loved one another. Feeling weary that perhaps she had consumed "one too many", Ke laughed again. She was well aware that the next morning they'd both be sore and annoyed, but... for once the negative truth that she was becoming drunk didn't effect her in a negative way. It didn't have an impact on her. What did it matter what happened then? Now she was happy, and with the only one she loved.
"I love you," She whispered in his ear.
And with that, she fondly pressed her lips against his.
Neither knew exactly what happened after that, all they knew was that the next morning the two found themselves sleeping together. Ke lazily opened her heavy eyelids. Oh, crap! Why had she... she had told herself numerous times that "drugs were bad", right? Radhi's eyes slid open. For what felt like hours the two just lay there, looking at each other and, in their mind, complaining.
How could you be so stupid? You told yourself you never were to try that whole drug deal, and yet here you are, worrying about whether the little guy's gonna make it and beginning to learn why Scar was so nuts. He told you about drugs, Scar did, many times! He told you what they do to you, and you ignored him! Now look what you've done. Ke has, like, a fifty fifty percent chance of dying, because she's a bit young for pregnancy, and now you're really gonna get in trouble when the others find out. You're supposed to be future king, and you do this to yourself?
Great... now look what you've done. Couple o' months, and the little ones'll be running around and driving us all nuts. Imagine Sarifa's mood when she finds out... ugh. Vitani too. She always wanted him. God he's handsome... but why did you do that to yourself last night? You know very well that you deserve to be scolded for eternity... but are you to be? No. Of course not. But what have I done? Radhi and I are probably both in deep hyena doo now. I'm a bit young to have a cub. But what does it matter? Last night may have been the best thing in my life. Okay, so it leaves me in poor shape, but what does it matter? Does this mean that I'm officially princess of Pride Rock? I would guess, since like, Radhi and I have been betrothed for years and we just, like, did it.
"I don't understand, Radhi," Ke said. "Why didn't you ever come back for me? I would have been happy to come with you..."
"Shut up. Shut up!" Radhi was losing it. "You wouldn't understand. You'd have to go through the same steps. You'd have to be destined for it."
"Destined!" Ke shouted.
"Listen Ke, you can't just all understand it. If it were that easy, I'd've told everyone about it by now. You were born to hate Scar. How can you change that?"
"He's my grandfather!" Ke screamed. "Why would I hate my grandfather?"
What? Her grandfather? That's right! Scar had told him about a daughter of his called Kipusa. And Ke's mother was Kipusa!
"Wh - wh," Radhi was speechless.
Ke had a point. Perhaps she could understand. Afterall, Sarifa and he were also grandchildren of Scar.
"Please tell me, Radhi." Ke's eyes glistened with pleading tears.
Radhi sighed. "Look, Scar and I had a bit of a relationship. We were best friends, we helped each other, always, okay? I -" He paused, hanging his head. "I loved him. I loved him as a best friend. I loved him as a grandfather. Not as an evil madman with "good" ideas."
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Ke asked.
"I, I just didn't think you'd understand. Didn't really think you'd approve."
"Approve? Why in the world wouldn't I approve of someone's love for another?"
"You just didn't seem like the type."
"The type? Why do you under estimate me like this? Radhi, I am more than you think. I have loved you nearly my whole life. I missed you so. I think I can understand why you love someone."
"Look Ke, I just -"
"I don't wanna hear it!" Ke screamed. "You are despicable!"
Throughout this argument, the two lions had mounted their paws, and had absent-mindedly walked dangerously close to the edge of a cliff.
"It's not MY fault!" Radhi screamed in Ke's face.
In that moment, Ke gasped and found herself hanging onto the edge of the cliff. Rahdi immediately forgot his anger and reached for the terrified lioness.
"Ke!" He held onto Ke with his paws.
Radhi shivered. The scene was exactly like that of Mufasa's death, and of Scar's immitation. No! He couldn't let her go! He couldn't let her die!
"Help me, Radhi!" Ke was sobbing. Fear was engulfing her, taking over her. "Don't let me die!" She sobbed.
"Ke," Radhi said, sobbing as well. He tried to not let slip the dreaded words from his mouth. They just seemed to come. In a despair-filled, hardly audible voice, he whispered, "Long live the king."
His eyes were filled with tears, and seemed to be saying 'No! I can't do this!' but he thrashed his paws off Ke, and she fell screaming to the base of the mountain.
"Noooooo!" Ke screamed as she fell.
"KE!"
Blindly Radhi thrashed to the base of the mountain. "Ke?" He asked. "KE?" He staggered about in the dust, looking for his best friend.
"Ke, I'm sorry! Really I am!" Coughing, he made his way about the area.
He gasped. Draped over a rock, facing away from Radhi, was Ke. Radhi could see blood on her, and dashed toward her.
"Ke!" Radhi stood over the seemingly unconsious lioness. "Ke, you have to be alright. I don't know what I'll do without you!" He nuzzled her, tears springing in his eyes.
The lioness groaned, opened her eyes partway, and looked toward Radhi. "Wha...?"
There was blood on her face. What was it coming from? "Ke!" Radhi licked the blood from her face, as she again fell into unconsiousness.
It was long before Ke woke again. When her eyes finally fluttered open, although her vision was unclear and her mind confused, she could tell she was in a den-like area, and that it was raining.
"Radhi?" She asked, dazed.
Radhi was relieved. He had licked her clean, until he could make out where she was bleeding. "Ke!" He said. "Listen, we have to get out of here. We can't stay! We have to get to Pride Rock! Er... it's not far, I think you can make it."
"What are you talking about?" Ke said in a voice unlike her own.
"We have to get back to the pride lands - and fast."
"What?" Ke asked, becoming herself. "What happened?" She attempted to stand, before wincing and falling to the ground.
"No. Don't get up. Not yet. Ke, did you bite your lip? And was one paw underneath the others?"
Ke strained her mind to remember what all had happened. Slowly, she nodded. "Yes. I remember biting my lip. And I remember when I fell, I think my teeth jabbed into it. There was a crunching sound under me, and I felt a searing pain in two legs. That's when... that's when I hit the side of my face... and I remember the pain... and then, nothing."
Radhi nodded. "Can you walk?"
Ke looked at him. "Of course I can. Why wouldn't I be able to?" She pulled herself up.
Radhi looked unsure. He gasped as she did too, in pain, and Ke fell to the ground, moaning. Blood oozed from a large gash on one flank, and a completely limp foreleg was collapsed upon. Her breathing was slow and labored. Her eyes were shut, her mouth open.
"Ke..." Radhi caressed her, hoping, praying, only that fate would take a turn their way.
"Ke, you have to keep going! Come ON!" Radhi tugged on Ke's blood-stained skin.
After Ke had assured Radhi that she was perfectly fine, Radhi and her had began their way back to the Pride Lands. After a short amount of time, Ke had collapsed with a pitiful gasp.
"Radhi, I can't!" Ke said, on the verge of tears.
"You have to..."
"Radhi, put up with it! I just can't!" Ke's fear and sorrow had turned now to anger.
Radhi sighed. "Look. When I was like, twelve, way younger than you are now, right? I got this." He demonstrated by holding out his scarred paw. Ke looked up at him with questioning, glistening eyes. "I kept going. It never brought me down. I never complained."
"How did you get it?" Ke asked, barely above a whisper.
"Same way you did," Radhi explained. "I fell."
Ke looked up at him, new determination accenting her eyes. "Okay. Let's go."
Soon, from Pride Rock two figures could be seen.
"Radhi! Ke!" With a leap in her step Sarifa pranced along to greet her friend and brother. Her face showed concern as she lay her eyes on Ke, staggering and bleeding.
"Ke!" She gave her a lick. "Are you alright?"
Ke shook her head, and collapsed.
"Ke!" Radhi and Sarifa exclaimed in unison.
"I'll get Rafiki." Sarifa limped toward Rafiki's tree.
Ke's pain would not be permanent, but it would always be remembered; for in place of her wounds and cuts grew blond fur. Her normally dark orange brown coat was accented with golden streaks. Ke and Radhi were relieved at this.
