The Lion King: Rise of the White Pride

Chapter 9: Shaka's Second Day In the Pride Lands

Kovu got up early before sunrise. He stood up slowly after nuzzling Kiara gently, made her wake up. He looked around and found Nala sleeping deeply. She must be tired of hearing Simba's explanation all night.

Kavu still couldn't shake off the disturbed feeling he had toward Shaka. Was he making the right decision? Did letting Shaka join his pride was endangering? As much as he wanted to kick him out of the land, he still couldn't forget that Shaka had bad experiences with Scar whilst Kovu himself didn't have any.

He walked and stretched outside on the promontory to found that the quatre of the pride: Tojo, Kula, Chumvi, and Tama lounging at the stone steppes. The four bowed at the king whick he returned with a nod. He scanned his surrounding to make sure there weren't any trouble. A second later, he was startled by Kubwa and Kimbia who fell from the sky.

Chumvi came in. "What was that?" he asked.

"Sorry. We slip off when climbing that's all," she forced a smile.

Tama shook her head. "Dear, don't do that again," Kubwa went silent.

Tojo and Kula turned to their son. "Kimbia?" they waited for a response.

Kimbia sighed and waved his paw twice and scratched the floor backwards, his sign of 'yes'.

The quatre apologized to Kovu before returning to the stone steppes.

Kovu rolled his eyes. "I want you two to do a favor for me," he said it like the event earlier didn't happen at all.

Kimbia tilted his head. "What is it?" Kubwa asked while cracking her bones.

They walked to the side of the Pride Rock. "Keep an eye for Shaka, will you?"

"Our pleasure to do so. Let's go," she stepped off but stopped by a talk.

Kovu and Kimbia also noticed and they quickly took cover. The sound was from behind the Pride Rock. It was Simba, Kiburi, Kasi, Shida, Aibu, and Nzuri. The three could hear some of it. It was something about Shaka for sure, as the name mentioned a few times. Something about before sunrise and hunting. Were they planning to hunt this early? The thought crossed their mind. Before they could speculate more, Simba's group left the scene. Kovu's had no choice but to stalk them.

On the way, Shida started a talk. "So we're gonna watch him hunt?"

"Didn't Kasi know about that?" Nzuri turned to Kasi.

Kasi shrugged. "Ask Simba," she resumed walking.

Aibu turned to Simba. "Elder?" Aibu asked.

Simba slowed down and told the cubs the whole conversation along the way but left the White Pride out. As soon as Simba finished his story, they arrive at the place Shaka mentioned. They saw a large herd of zebra grazing there before an acacia tree, no more trees were seen. Simba was amazed by the fact Shaka managed to pinpoint the exact location of a good hunting spot in that condition.

"Wait a minute," Shida said, looked at his left. "What is she doing here?!" the rest followed his gaze.

Vitani was beside Nzuri with the cub wrapped on her paw. "What?"

"Don't listen to him, Vitani. He's a jerk," Nzuri spatted.

"Hey!" he snapped. "I'll get you for that!" he lunged at the female cub.

Nzuri ran but caught. "Watch it!" the two rolled around.

The rest laughed lightly and returned their sights at the herd. It was a miracle that they didn't alert the herd.

Kovu's group was hiding behind a bush a few meters back and constantly held their breath to conceal their presence. Kubwa was still working it up while Kimbia already solved it. His intelligence is unknown even to Kasi but it seemed that his' above rate. Kovu swiped his paw at the two to make them pay attention to the herd.

"I wonder where he'll come out," Aibu muttered.

"Somewhere we won't expect," Shida sarcastically said.

Suddenly in a blink of an eye, two zebras fell to the ground followed by two more just around the tree earlier. Simba's group desperately tried to get a better view of the scene among the stampeding zebras. Kovu's moved into another spot quickly before they got squashed by the zebras. Kiburi and Kasi braced themselves to walk closer to the kill scene while the cubs were with Simba behind them.

After the dust cleared, Shaka was seen standing in the center of four decapitated zebras. Shida, Aibu, and Nzuri were practically swallowing gallons of air as they gaped at the work of the white lion. Kiburi and Kasi were checking their lunch – or is it? Simba stared at Shaka blankly.

"That was an outrage!" Kiburi congratulates Shaka by a punch on his shoulder which he punched back, both laughing.

"Damn it. I couldn't get a better spot to watch the slaughter," Nzuri said, attracting the others' blank attention. "I'm just saying."

"Great!" Vitani punched Shaka's other shoulder.

"Now that's killing!" Shida's mouth watered just by looking at the zebras.

Simba nudged Shaka. "That was brutal and risky," he scoffed. "You always hunt like this?" Shaka nodded like saying each and every time.

"You can come out now!" Shaka shouted and raised an eyebrow at a bush, catching everyone's attention.

Kovu, Kimbia, and Kubwa emerged from it. Kovu's expression was disturbing. It was a mix of anger and awe but disturbing.

He spoke when he was close enough. "You attacked from that tree?" Shaka nodded. "You cut off their head at first contact?" he got another nod. "You use lethal blows," yet another nod.

Shaka didn't move. "Obviously white coat isn't suitable blend for these grasses so I was taught to hunt by ambushing up close as in VERY close," he turned to Simba. Simba saw a different light from Shaka's eyes. "No. WE learned it ourselves," his sentence shocked everyone else.

Shaka started telling them his story with Simba. Kovu and Kimbia showed signs of disgust toward Shaka's pride. Shaka shrugged and continued. It was up until meeting with Simba that Kovu was skeptical. But Shaka wasn't done yet, he told them more. Parts of his past that he hadn't tell them yet.

As soon as they returned to Mt. Kilimanjaro, Shaka's Farland Trip group were unwelcome. Shaka's father was dead, killed by a tan lion with dark peach mane. A scar was on his left cheek, more was on his legs. He had a crooked large smile that coped with his devilish appearance.

Two light peach lionesses were on his side. Each had emotionless face but was as muscular as the lion.

The tyrant stood up on a platform in front of Shaka's group. He said he was Scar's right-hand-lion and he was taking over the pride. The lion and lioness that was with them was shoveled aside by the White Pride, reluctantly said that they had to follow their leader. Shaka himself was surprised that his father was defeated by Scar's underlings, someone he described as a murderous bastards. Scar himself wasn't there, but he could feel the brewing darkness that surrounded the lion. It took all of Shaka's might not to throw up at the suppressing aura.

He manipulated every single lion and lionesses there to fight each other and bow to him. Almost every argument that thrown into him were taken and casted aside like dust. Shaka couldn't find his mother only to find out that she was killed by the tan lion. When the tan lion ordered the White Pride to attack, Shaka escaped with help of his two Farland Trip fellows but was unable to help them escape. In the end, he was the only one escaped.

Convinced that there was no other way, Shaka decided to went along and find other family until he's strong enough to win back his pride. But it wasn't easy. The tan lion kept beating him to prides he encounter and turned him around. He barely escaped each encounter unscratched. Everybody including Kovu felt a glimpse of sadness when they heard Shaka's explanation - save for Kubwa.

Vitani shivered at the fact that her stepfather could do something like that. "Why didn't you fight him?" she asked.

"There was four White Pride members on his side whenever I met him," his face saddens. "I won't stand a chance," he continued.

Kubwa forcefully intervened with sarcasm. "Even with skills like that?" she glanced at the zebras.

Shaka snarled. "They received the exact same training! It's like four on one!" Simba held him back against the fight ready Kovu and Kimbia. "You don't know how hurt it is to fight your own pride," he snapped at Kovu. "Especially when they're under control of some crazy relentless maniac bastard," a tear escaped his eyes. Kovu seemed to agree at Shaka's last phrase.

Shaka wiped off his tear and glanced to the decapitated zebras. "Take them. It's gift from me," he ran away.

Kubwa tried to break the mood by saying, "Okay guys. Help me carry these."

Simba about to chase Shaka when Kovu stopped him. Kimbia, Kiburi, Kasi, and Kovu helped Kubwa carry the preys. Simba hopelessly glanced at the direction Shaka went, sighed, and helped the group carrying the prey.

Shaka arrived at the entrance of the Waliopotea Forest. His heart was racing as he ran into the forest, tried forgetting whatever had happened. He couldn't believe he'd just told them his dark past, what he had been through, something that he kept secret for a long time. He stopped at a rock bridge across a small lake in an open place - the spot he killed a deer. He lay down before a part the lake under a tree, looking at this own reflection. He picked a rock and threw it at the reflection, distorting it.

He sighed as he did so. "Dammit," he muttered.

Suddenly, the forest was filled with voices that echoed through the countless trees spanning yards ahead. The voice easily reached Shaka's ears. He cautiously got up and scanned his surroundings. It was starting to get dark there when the cloud blocked the sun so he had to rely on his sharp ears to detect movements in the forest's dark shades.

His eyes were bouncing all over his eye corners while his ears were hardly able to determine the source of the voice. But then, he realized, it was right above him. He swiftly picked another rock, rolled over, and threw the rock as strong as he could. The rock broke several branches which fell on the lion.

Though barely seen, a shadow moved from the rock's line of fire of and disappeared deeper into the forest. The voice was heard again albeit this time clearer. It was a chanting. Shaka was so disturbed that he focused and tried to listen as hard as he could and found the shadow clinging just behind him. When he turned to face it, he was surprised and slipped to the lake.

The shadow figure laughed at him. Shaka finally recognized the voice as the one he heard just before he came to the Pride Lands. He got out from the lake and grumpily walked toward the other side of it.

It asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere."

"That's what you think," it laughed again.

Shaka was enraged. "Who are you!?" he shouted at the shadow who was laying down on a branch.

The shadow didn't answer. Instead, it continued its chanting. This time was very clear. Shaka seemed to picked up some of the rhythm.

It let out a verse, "Asante sana squash banana . . .,"

Shaka gasped and continued the verse, ". . . we we nugu mimi apana."

The shadow chuckled a little and continued along with Shaka for several verses with his smile grew at every verse. The shadow laughed loudly as he swung into light. A baboon. No, a mandrill. With his dark blue fur and white mane, the gourds on his staff rattled as he walked. A wide smile was on his face.

Shaka closed in while laughing, "I know you! You're . . . Rafiki!" he snapped. "Right?"

"Rafiki is, lad," he smiled. "Boy do you need time to remember him," he scoffed.

Shaka was filled with a mix of joy, entertained, and annoyed. He met Rafiki, the mandrill he met when he was in his Farland Trip. It was a very hot day at the desert when the bright sun sent his intense heat over the land. The group found an oasis and decided to rest a bit. Shaka, an adventurous cub along with his friends went around the oasis looking for trouble. They stopped when they met a traveling mandrill named Rafiki. Rafiki decided to rest too and tell stories to the cubs. His stories were great and interesting, so interesting that it ended when the adults came looking for the cubs at the end of the day.

"Sorry. My head wasn't clear these days," he chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

"The question is: what are YOU doing here?" he said as he thrust his head in front of Shaka's.

Shaka bounced back and sighed. "You know," he looked away. "Scar was relentless," he continued.

They spent a couple of hours beside the lake hearing each other's stories until the time when the sun left the sky.

"Rafiki see," he put a hand on his chin.

"I couldn't escape him. And moreover, I've completely blown my chance to be accepted by the Pride Landers," he lowered his head and covered it with his paws.

Rafiki swung his stick at Shaka but it was caught. Shaka scoffed at it. Rafiki jabbed Shaka's paw making it flinch and smacked Shaka's head from left. "How are you so sure?" His tone heightens. "You do not know something if you don't try. Come on," he gestured at Pride Lands, the gaps on the forest showed the Pride Rock as Shaka turned. "You'll get your chance. Let's go back."

Shaka was still rubbing his head. "I think you're right. Okay," he said, agreeing.

"Ha! Race you back," he leaped to a branch and started swinging. Shaka chased him on the ground.

They arrived at the entrance of the forest and the Pride Rock was in sight.

"Rafiki is done here," he walked off.

"Wait. You're still a doctor, right?" Rafiki nodded on response. "Can I be your student once more?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

"Aye," he turned away. "Meet me at sunrise. North," he disappeared in the night mist.

Shaka turned to his left only to be confronted by Kiara with Tama and Chumvi on her side seemed waiting for him. Chumvi had a chunk of meat in his mouth. Kiara's expression was as disturbing as Kovu the last time Shaka saw him. But instead of distrust, he saw protective nature in it. Shaka tried to ignore her and keep walking but the three kept blocking his way.

He was annoyed but he swallowed it down. "Do you have a problem, Milady?" he politely asked while tried to bite his lips.

"That's my line," she snarled. "Look, I don't care who you are but if you threatens my family or my pride, you'll be sorry," she shot him a murderous glare.

"I won't even dream to," he scoffed and turned away. "I'm not someone who would ruin happy lives," he walked off.

Kiara blocked him once more saying, "I'll make sure of that," Shaka didn't flinch. "Based on you actions earlier, you too have to make sure of it," she said.

Shaka retaliated with sarcasm. "Only if Kovu won't follow Scar or his followers' paw prints."

She sighed. "That's my job," she brought another topic. "Oh. Thanks for those zebras. We saved some for you," she brought a chunk of meat and dropped it on a rock. Then, she walked closer. "Don't worry," she held his shoulder. "You haven't blown your chance yet," she said like she clearly read Shaka's mind and laughed it off before disappearing in the distance along with her guards.

She doesn't seem evil. Rather gentle, and powerful too. He thought. But it wasn't a moment before a sound of grass fricting against each other caught his attention. He quickly jumped close to the ground and took his battle stance beside an acacia tree and swiped his claws at it. The swipe took a great chunk of wood that the tree fell down to the direction of the attacker. Three ouchs could be heard.

Out from the leaves, Aibu, Nzuri, and Shida came out rubbing their head. Kiburi and Kasi came out from the bushes across the scene.

"Operation failed," Kiburi said nonchalantly.

"Hah," Shaka scoffed before he pounced on Kiburi before locking his head with his paw and gave him a noogie.

"NO!" Kiburi struggled under Shaka's strength but he managed to get off by lightly bite Shaka's foreleg.

Shaka backed off and smiled as he tackled Kiburi into tumbling down a cliff and into a water pool. They emerged all wet and laughing. Kasi was surprised that the two were getting along this close. She could only smile at the two who were splashing against another.

Shida spoke. "Dang, your ears are much sharper than Kimbia, right, Nzuri?" he turned at the young female cub.

"You bet!" she nodded in agreement.

"How sharp are his?" Shaka said as he dried himself.

"He could hear me lying down in a tall grass patch five kilos away."

Shaka hanged his jaw. "That's incredible!" he shouted but used his own paw to shut his mouth.

He thought he was the only freak that could hear beyond three kilos as the usual lions do. But he was relieved to know that he wasn't the only one. Was the training that made him so? Or was his own that did. Either one, he now knew that he got a friend of the same, maybe better, hearing than the rest.

Shaka asked their intentions here. They just there to thank him and gave him another chunk of zebra.

They talked about the cubs who were given permission to go out at night thanks to Double K's 'cub care license' while Shaka was digging his dinner. But they were good at it anyway. They had taken care of three other cubs before their mother decided to separate from the pride and journeyed beyond Pride Lands. The mothers were very pleased with their cub on Double K's care. They're amusing and were able to make the cubs behave. Shaka was skeptical about this but so much trust Shida, Nzuri, and Aibu gave to the twins were a solid proof. He smiled at the five. Making them raise an eyebrow at him.

But after some word trades, the five excused themselves and walked back. "Hold on!" Shaka yelled from the distance and closed in. "Meet me at the base of Pride Rock under the promontory before sunrise. I'm gonna take you guys to do something," he said.

Aibu piped up. "Is it dangerous?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "It would if you don't pay attention," he temptingly raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ha. We will, right guys?" the others nodded in agreement.

"It's decided then," he walked to his den.

Kasi looked at Kiburi before saying, "You're not coming with us?"

"I need more members to trust me if I were to live there."

"You got us," she gestured to the group, they smile subsequently. "Come on," she raised her paw at him and gestured to come with them. "We're with you," Nzuri added.

Kiburi approached and head-butted him. "Come on," he said.

Shaka raised his head a while. A falling star appeared. He sighed and walked toward the group. "Okay. I'm in," he said. The cubs whooped while Kasi high-fived her brother's face.

They managed to make Shaka trust them – or was it Shaka who earned their trust? Didn't matter. What mattered was that they made him to be more open to them and he trusting them was enough at that point.

They walked to the Pride Rock. When they arrived to the base, Shaka resisted stepping onto it but Kiburi encouraged him and he walked on. They arrived at the entrance with Simba greeting them.

Simba gasped when he saw Shaka. "Didn't you say . . .?"

Shaka chuckled. "These folks are too damn good at convincing people," he glanced at the five.

Simba laughed at him. "Well then, welcome to Pride Rock," he welcomed the new member.

They walked into the den where the pride was preparing to sleep and it was a total fray. There were lionesses and cubs everywhere around the den. Kubwa and Kimbia were wrestling with Kovu watching them.

After Zira's demise, the pride found a cave system underneath the Pride Rock. With some help of some moles, the cave system was accessable in and outside the den. There was a large chamber underneath the den that could house a dozen of lions. Simba requested Rafiki and his troop to help suit up the caves and managed to connect some caves on the walls of the chamber to house several more residents. The cave system was lit up by the skylights that shone light down and reflected by underground water pools. Raindrops wasn't a trouble since they would flow down to a cave river.

The fray stopped when they saw Shaka standing on the entrance. They quickly returned to normal and acted that it was never been a fray before. Some of them even came to Shaka and thanked him for the meal. Kovu decided to keep an eye on Shaka rather than to talk. Shaka tried to sit on a spot when Kiburi, Kasi, and the cubs lined on his side forming a circle.

Shaka raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

"Elder said you've traveled your whole life . . . tell us some!" the cubs said the words one after another.

Shaka's turned to Simba's direction and his expression suddenly turned flat, so flat that his eyes and lips were horizontally straight which makes the others burst into laughing. Even some lions who unintentionally saw it desperately tried not to laugh.

"Okay then," his expression returned normal, surprising the pride on how easily he control his mood swings.

Shaka told them about how he scaled a cliff in a swamp, how he swam across the freezing cold lake on a highland, how he fought a fierce pumaress and a snow leopard when they battled for a drink, and many more while excluding the White Pride.

Kiburi swatted Shaka's shoulder and said he was a great storyteller, he threw a friendly smile at is friend. Shaka surprised himself that he was a good storyteller. The lion and lionesses who were attempting to sleep were captivated by interesting stories Shaka told. Even Kimbia joined in.

One lioness, Anahofia – Nzuri and Aibu's peach coated mother, asked Shaka if he got those faint scars she noticed from those experiences. Shaka replied, "Minority of it." Surprising the pride again that he got more rough experience.

Shaka continued talking with the pride members and managed to befriend a few of them while the rest still reluctant to him. Kiburi on the sidelines smiled at the new addition for the pride.

The group awkwardly dispersed when Kubwa came in. "Well," she said looking around. "I guess thank you is in order so . . . thank you for the zebras," she reluctantly said to Shaka.

"It's alright," he smiled. "That what fellow pride member do, right?" he looked at the dark Pride Lander.

"Sure," she lightened up and smiled. "Let me get you a place to sleep," she said politely.

She was clearly forcing that smile. Shaka could see it. But he didn't object it since it could make her mad. But by knowing that, he knew that making friends here wouldn't be easy. The cubs were trying to sleep alongside Shaka so they could hear more stories, but Kimbia cut them off. Their respective mothers called them before they could say a single word.

They walked down a platform to the chamber under the Pride Rock. Whoa escaped Shaka's mouth. It was a nice sight. The round chamber had some lions sleeping while some weren't. There was a hole that let moonlight came through and reflected to the pool of water inside. It was somewhat cozy. With the flashing light from the pool and calm atmosphere coping the prettiness of the chamber in the night.

Kubwa led him to a cave that ended in an empty room with a triangle shaped hole on the ceiling that let cold wind blew in. No lions were there because of that, but Shaka didn't seem to be fazed by it as he quickly walked beside the window and lay down. He didn't sleep though. He was looking out to the window and stargazing.

Kubwa decided to sleep there near the entrance to stand guard for Shaka just in case if he's planning to do something negative to the pride. Shaka didn't mind. He actually delighted to have someone around to talk to, even though she looked like she didn't want to. But he wasn't really a loner type.

He was about to sleep when he saw Kubwa shivering in the cold wind. "You can sleep there if you don't like the cold," he gestured to a spot at the corner of the room.

It was a little crampy but didn't reach by the wind and it was quite warm. Kubwa quietly did what he said and moved there. A face of annoyance was seen but she slept calmly there. Shaka couldn't help but to smile at the peace she had.

He looked outside at the stars once more saying, "Good night, friends," he closed his eyes and slept.

I know the den seems very much like a nonsense, isn't it? Believe me, I couldn't get the same nonsense out of my head.