La de da de da…10 reviews! I'm excited! Here's next chappy! But I been nice so far, no more unless more reviews. … prease?
Disclaimer: don't own any characters, places, things, etc. you know the drill.
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The pride was ecstatic. Their prince's mane was coming in. Another major celebration was to take place. Mufasa had sent for Rafiki immediately and explained to Simba what would happen. "You see, my son, when you are smiled upon from above, He gives you a mane. In order to acknowledge this, should the lion be a prince like you, the animals of the kingdom are called forth and a ceremony takes place involving the prince and the kingdom's shaman. You have met our shaman once, right after you were born."
"What do I do?" Simba asked, but really didn't care. He just wanted the rest of his mane to come.
"Well, we'll find out, won't we?" Nala said. Simba looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. She was so down to Earth.
"Yes, we will," Zira said in her sharp, seductive voice.
Taka stood besides his mate, staring down at Simba. But he wasn't smiling. He wasn't quite sure why he wasn't excited for his nephew. Quite suddenly, a burning hatred filled his body, threatening to attack anyone, no matter who they were. His eyes clouded and he began to snarl in pain. A dizzying mist seemed to fill his head. And just as suddenly, the feeling subsided. Oh, no…
Simba looked out of the cave of Pride Rock. All the kingdom's subjects were assembled waiting for the ceremony to take place. He came back inside and sat by Nala. His eyes were out on sticks, his front, left paw was twitching, and he kept looking back at the opening out from the cave.
Nala looked at her friend. "Calm down," she cooed gently. Nala knew Simba would do fine. Simba, Rafiki, and the rest of Simba's direct family had been practicing the ceremony for the past seventeen days. Even Nala had a small part. Everyone seemed calm except Simba.
Nala placed her right front paw on Simba's twitching one and whispered in his ear, "I'm nervous, too."
"You are?" Simba asked.
"Mm-hm," Nala comforted. It seemed to work. Simba sighed and stopped twitching.
"Thanks, Nala. You're a good friend."
"I know," she joked. Mufasa stepped in front of the friends.
"It's time, son," he said.
"Okay," Simba's voice went up an octave. He walked to the entrance to the cave, next to the monkey known as Rafiki. Nala watched a moment and then took her place for the procession.
The pride members who weren't involved were already outside. Rafiki, Simba, Mufasa, Sarabi, Nala, and Sarafina paced out for the ceremony. Rafiki and Simba went halfway up the promontory. Sarafina and Nala stopped behind them. She stepped on Simba gently. Simba turned his head slightly to smile at her. Mufasa and Sarabi were roaring to their subjects. They nuzzled and turned to sit where Rafiki and Simba were. Rafiki followed as Simba stepped up to the very top of the promontory.
Okay, Nala, get psyched, Nala thought before walking between the King and Queen to stand near Rafiki. She knew the part the group hadn't been allowed to practice was coming.
Simba was looking out. He was nervous again. He wanted Nala to be there, stepping on his paw. He wanted to be further away from the edge of a cliff. And he especially wanted the kingdom's animals beneath him, judging him, to go away.
Rafiki broke a large, round, odd nut. He stuck his thumbs inside the two halves, removing some red stuffs. Stepping around Simba as need be, the shaman applied the red nut-juice, first to where Simba's small mane was, second down the back of his neck and between his shoulder blades, and lastly a straight line down the center of Simba's chest. The baboon then grabbed two handfuls of the sand on Pride Rock. Rafiki sprinkled the sand over the prince where his mane would one day fill in, except where his mane had already started.
Butterflies filled Nala's insides. Rafiki stepped back. Simba sat down and looked over his shoulder, trying to move as little as possible. My part… thought Nala as she walked up. She stepped behind him first, then walked around his side and slightly ahead of him. Nala sat down, trying her best to face the subjects below while performing her next task. Simba lowered his head, closed his eyes, and waited. Nala hesitated momentarily, then moved right in. The young lioness licked the red nut-jelly off of the top of Simba's head where sand hadn't been placed.
Once she finished, the kingdom below let out a joyful chorus. Simba raised his head and looked at Nala. She winked at him, bowed her head, and turned to join her mother. Before she reached her destination, Mufasa had joined his son and the pair was roaring. Nala sighed with relief. Sarafina looked down at her daughter the way a mother does.
"Good job, my dear."
"Thanks, Mom."
Taka watched the ceremony end. He leaned into his mate and sighed, "Mmm." Zira purred in his ear. They had announced her pregnancy ten days ago. Things would hopefully calm down until the cub's birth.
"Do you want a prince or princess?" Zira whispered.
"How about a prince first," Taka answered. He leaned down to lick Zira's face when the burning hatred came upon him again, but this time left almost immediately. Taka shook his head a little. He licked his mate, but looked out in confusion and worry. What was happening to him?