Chapter 3: The Curse

Vitani found Jabari at the water hole, but he wasn't drinking, he just stared at his reflection. He used one of his paws to part the fur on his neck, and there, was a glowing symbol.

'Father, why did you do this to me? Did you really idolize mother so much as to try to kill me?' Jabari thought to himself. He quickly put his paw down when he heard someone trotting to him. It was Vitani.

"Hey Jabari." Vitani said before lapping at the water. Drinking did something for her that some people might find, unusual. Consumption of water seemed to be able to calm her.

"Why are you just staring at your reflection? Do you expect a greeting from it?" She asked with a smirk. She felt strange smirking, but she knew that mood swings were a sign of being in heat.

"Vitani." Jabari said. Vitani just looked at him to allow him to say he wanted to say.

"I just want you to know, you're beautiful." Jabari finished.

"Save it for later, Romeo." Vitani said. "I barely know you, so don't go getting all romantic on me just yet."

"Can't blame a guy for trying, can you?" Jabari asked with a smirk. Vitani just shook her head, as if to say 'Good thing we're not in public, or I'd have to kill you.'

"Well, I'm going back, you can follow or stay." Vitani said.

"I think I'd rather stay away from those mood swings." Jabari said in a voice which sounded to Vitani like he was mocking her. She whipped around at him and lunged at him, pinning him and pressing her claws gently against Jabari's neck, as if to make a point. She smiled and took her paw away from Jabari's neck, then said,

"You know, it's a good thing you're handsome." Vitani said with a sly smile on her face. She got off of Jabari, who was left bewildered, and started off back to Pride Rock, but turned her head back to Jabari and growled, but it was a playful growl, something someone would do to try to make romance. She then continued back to Pride Rock, and Jabari followed close behind, remembering that he had a message for Kovu and Kiara. Back at Pride Rock, Jabari was welcomed into the den.

"Now then, I have a message for the majesties, King Kovu and Queen Kiara." Jabari said. Simba and Nala parted to make a path for Kovu and Kiara to get to Jabari.

"I came to warn you, and left my pride against their will to do so. I'm sure you know Mt. Kilamanjaro." Jabari began. Kiara nodded, and Jabari continued.

"My pride lives in a cave that was dug into that mountain, but that's beside the point. My pride, they had respect for Zira. They knew what she was doing, but they respected her all the same." Jabari said. The lionesses began chatting, and Kovu roared,

"Silence!" The lionesses murmuring stopped, and Jabari was allowed to continued.

"They're planning an attack on these lands, and my father can kill me whenever he wants. I took a great risk in coming here." Jabari explained.

"Your father can kill you whenever he wants? How?" Kovu asked. Jabari parted the fur on his neck to reveal the symbol.

"This." He said. Kovu gasped in disbelief. He had seen that somewhere before.

"Someone have Rafiki take a look at this!" Kovu yelled to the lionesses. They parted the group as if making a path, and Rafiki walked inside.

"Mufasa told me a foul wind was blowing." Rafiki said. "Let me have a look." Jabari showed him the symbol, and Rafiki took a step back suddenly.

"Who did this?" He asked. Jabari told him that it was,

"Azaan." Rafiki heard the name, and knew, now more than ever, it was that curse.

"So, Azaan has become the shaman of your pride, correct?" Rafiki asked.

"Yes, and he did that at my father's demand." Jabari said. The pride understood, and Kovu decided to plan a counterattack toward Jabari's pride.

"I'm sorry, Jabari, but I must study this symbol more thoroughly to concoct a potion that can counteract it." Rafiki said. Jabari nodded, and Rafiki turned to Vitani.

"I'll need him at my tree for a while to study the curse. I'm sorry to have to do this, but you may not have a relationship at all if I don't." He said. Vitani nodded, but Rafiki could tell that she was crying on the inside. Jabari could see that Vitani was worried about him and said reassuringly,

"I'll be ok, don't worry about me." However, soon after that, he felt a large amount of pain, which caused him to cry out in agony. Vitani gasped, and couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

"What's happening?" She asked. Jabari's paws could no longer support him through the pain, and he fell on his chest. He turned his head toward Vitani, and after a while, managed a smile through the pain. Vitani was sure that her worst fear since learning about the curse had been realized, because the curse mark was glowing ominously. She ran off, unable to see her love in pain.