Then Rabi noticed something. His father's side was not rising and falling. He was not breathing! Rabi calmly walked over to his father and touched him, nose to nose.
King Ukinzani was dead.
Rabi looked around at the pride. Now I am supposed to be King, Rabi thought. I never thought it would be like this. He walked up to Pride Rock and surveyed his Kingdom. He would not officially be king until he roared, declaring his Kingdom. That was the tradition. He didn't feel like roaring. He didn't feel confident. Everything had gone wrong. If he roared, it would be from anger at his destiny. If only Laana would return! But she was most likely dead by now. Everything seemed to be dying.
When the pride awoke, Rabi declared to them, "The King is dead. He died in his sleep. I am the next King." It was amazing how Rabi could act so calm and collected, even though inside, he was overflowing with sadness.
That was a very long day. The whole pride mourned the king's death. Everyone was sad. Except a few lions, who did not like Ukinzani's judgement, so they weren't as sad as the rest. Rabi tried to comfort the pride, saying that Ukinzani was up in the stars now, and he was watching them. This got Rabi to thinking. Tonight, I will search the stars for my dad. I need him.
That very night, Rabi found a quiet spot away from Pride Rock. He looked up at the stars. They sparkled in the night sky. All the Kings of the past. There must have been a lot of Kings in the past, Rabi realized, That means a lot of Kings have died before my father. I wonder if they all missed their fathers as much as I do now.
"Father," Rabi said, shaking, hoping his dad would answer, "Please, speak to me,"
The wind rushed over Rabi's face, calming him. The wind was warm and comforting. Everything is all right, the wind whispered, Everything is all right. Sleep.
Rabi slept.
He dreamed his father was there... licking his fur with his rough tongue. Ukinzani hadn't done this since Rabi was a tiny cub. It felt comforting. Everything is all right, his father said. Rabi relaxed for the first time ever since before Laana left. The rough, warm, tongue on his fur felt so real, it was like his father was literally there. Rabi awoke, still feeling his father licking him, but he looked around, and his father wasn't there at all.
Laana was.
Rabi's heart leaped with joy.
Laana laughed and licked his face. Rabi grinned at her, and licked her back. They started frolicking around like cubs, and every time the other was in range, they would lick them.
Everything was all right!
That morning, just as the sun was rising, Rabi and Laana walked up to Pride Rock.
Rabi roared.
Laana echoed his roar.
The message was clear: this was Rabi and Laana's kingdom, Rabi was The Lion King, and Laana was his Queen. There could be no objections.
Rabi paced impatiently outside the cave. Umeme emerged. Rabi ran up to her. "Is she all right?" He asked.
"She'll be just fine."
"And the cub?"
"The cubs are just fine, too. They're sleeping."
Rabi's eyes widened. "There are two?"
Umeme smiled. "No, three."
"Three!"
"Yes. Two girls and a boy."
Rabi ran into the cave. There was Laana. and their three cubs.
"Aren't they adorable?" Laana whispered.
"Oh, yes." Rabi licked one of the sleeping cubs.
"What should we name them?"
"Something fitting. I can't think of anything at the moment."
"I already thought of one," she looked at one of the cubs. "We cold name her Jana."
Jana lifted her head and yawned, her little tongue sticking out of her mouth. Her parents laughed.
"We could name the boy after your father," said Laana.
Rabi shook his head. "No. My father will be remembered. He doesn't need someone named after him."
"Then what should we name him?"
"I don't know. But I thought of a name for the other girl. Nali."
"Nali. Do you like that name, Nali?"
Nali was sleeping.
Laana and Rabi tried to think of a name for their little boy. The future King. After a few minutes, Laana finally whispered, "Radhi."
"Yes," said Rabi, "He is our blessing. That is his name."
The sun was high in the sky when Rabi and Laana walked up Pride Rock, Laana carrying Radhi in her mouth. The animals of the kingdom watched as Laana lifted her son so that they all might see their future King. Then she placed him on the edge of the rock. The sun shone brightly, on Radhi, brighter than ever before, and the animals bowed humbly before their future King. The spirits of the Kings of the past welcomed Radhi, and Rabi was never quite sure whether or not he saw Ukinzani grinning broadly at his grandson.