Author: Daggermouth
Lion King 4
Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts
Chapter:VI – A Father Figure & Tedious Traps.
Spread among all the Pridelands were the inhabitants of Priderock. Each one on their own personal journey to find what they have lost, all of them unaware those two old friends of Simba have returned. Far out across the mores, Vitani runs, faster than she's ever run before. Her legs were tired and her heart was pounding quickly. Kopa was the key to her happiness and she wasn't going to let him go ever again. Crossing the bridge between the Pridelands and the Outlands Vitani reaches her old home for the first time since she joined Simba's Pride. It was so quiet, Vitani could hear every step she took, saddened to see the Outlands like this, barren and dry, hot and wrecked. The Outlands used to be just an extension of the Pridelands until the vultures flew south and destroyed most life here. Vitani searches high and low, she knew the Outlands layout incredibly well afterall it was her home for many years, she knows every canyon and corner, but even this did not help her find Kopa. Vitani sits on a dusty dead old tree root her head hung downwards; it seemed everyone in the Pridelands has lost someone dear to their hearts. During all the fighting Nuka passed away, trying to desperately to get the love of their mother Zira; it's only those thoughts which turn the lioness's attention to her old home. The giant termite mount, now destroyed and crumbling without any inhabitants, Vitani draws her claws and digs her way inside, scratching dirt and sand out of the way to form a small tunnel. Using her feline instincts Vitani jumps down into her old home. As she lands on the ground in the heart of her old home she is suddenly surprised as she lands upon fresh tracks of a lion. Following them across the ground with her blue eyes she looks up to see a shadow of a dark lion suddenly tower upon her.
"It can't be," Vitani says muttering under her breathe and stuttering the name of the lion infront of her when she realises who it really is, she finally shakes her head and takes a few steps back before fully realising the lion who is standing before her.
"Kivuli, is it really you?" Infront of Vitani a rough looking lion, his fur and large mane is tinted grey and his old eyes are a dazzling green colour. Sighing the grey lion confirms that he is infact Kivuli, Kovu's real father. Inside the large termite mound Vitani suddenly dashes forward and gives Kivuli an almighty cuddle, before bombarding the old lion with hundreds of questions, Kivuli listens to them all before interrupting his step-daughter,
"Settle down child, all questions will be answered in time," the wise lion answers before sitting down and sighing deeply turning his head away, Kivuli is a very old lion, his life has been spent in his own self-exile he is lost to sadness; he spent most of his time in the Shadowlands, and this explains why his fur is grey, anyone who spends too long in the Shadowland will get their fur tainted by the dust and filth. Vitani listen to her step-fathers tale without pity as he explains about how his life was so dark and terrible in the Shadowland. Kivuli blames himself for unleashing Zira onto the Pridelands and then Kivuli vowed to never return to the Pridelands. After hearing the old lions tales Vitani gets upset and strikes her step-father right across the face.
"Listen here, you have a son who is lost without you! For so long he and all the family have wondered just where you were, you left Kovu to almost fall into darkness and you've been here the whole time feeling sorry for yourself? Zira's gone Kivuli; she chose her own fate for being stubborn, she had a second chance to return home and she threw it away, don't you dare do the same! The Pridelands are your home too, you are on the family tree, you're part of the Pridelands and you're always welcome there. So please, come home." Vitani offers her paw outwards as Kivuli sits in shock holding the cheek which Vitani just struck him. The grey lion slowly lowers his paw and takes Vitani's. Vitani may have not found Kopa but she found a piece of her life which has been missing for so long. Together they slowly return home.
A dark haze covers the Elephant Graveyard. Before a terrible fire here the Elephant Graveyard was called the Mog Forest, a large forest inhabited by mainly the crimson elephants, during the largest fire the Pridelands have ever known a herd of elephants got trapped in the forest as it burned and it became known as the Elephant Graveyard, the adolescent Mufasa along with his brother Scar, formally known as Taka, saw the great fire themselves. But now it is a now dangerous place filled with wrath and darkness. Nala treads carefully along this sinister land, crossing a series of large geysers streaming hot green steam from their depths, the graveyard was unstable as it was dangerous, the land itself often shook and transformed as the rock structures moved. High towers of black rock also formed in the centre. Nala searched swiftly, she did not want to remain here through the dark hours, when the land is most treacherous and the sun was fading fast, when the sun went down the shadows grew larger and the darkness would creep in, Nala had always feared the dark or more specifically, the shadows within the darkness, while searching Nala wondered if she would find Kovu here, afterall he too started his search for his real father in this dark place. However none of this mattered to her now as her brave little brother Mheetu was just told to be still alive. So why isn't she happy? She ought be delighted to hear about Mheetu, but for some reason she was still upset and angry, perhaps the snake was right, she has been lost for so long now she kept it all hidden inside her. Scouting the land she rushes past a large skull of a huge elephant and jumps down into a pile of bones. Unaware of everything happening deep inside of the Elephant Graveyard, Nala prowls most of the graveyard swiftly but cautiously, the day was almost fully gone none and the dark was growing, she has searched almost all the Elephant Graveyard. Before almost giving up for the day Nala reaches the centre of the Elephant Graveyard only the find Malka. The two of them approach eachother. Although neither one of them were surprised for seeing eachother again, as they were both searching for either Tama or Mheetu. Sighing the two old friends sit together and talk about old times, together they adventured as cubs along with Chumvi and Simba, and even Kula. But the Daggermouth Gorge was their last adventure together, Tama got swept away, Mheetu was purposively killed by Scar, and that suddenly reminds Nala that she was still searching for her little brother, Nala suddenly regrets everything,
"For a minute I thought Mheetu was still alive," She realises she was acting upon the word of a strange snake, she realises the snake lied to her to get her away from Priderock. As Nala regrets everything and sulks into despair. Malka comforts her, Nala had a new found courage with Malka, with him by her side the two of them searched the Elephant Graveyard one last time, but Mheetu was never found and this only confirmed Nala's feelings that the snake she met lied to her about everything. Malka believes the snake did it to help the queen grieve and to help her release the feelings she's felt trapped inside her for so long. But Malka is not surprised because he too has heard of this snake, infact Malka has met this snake before, before the two old friend's part sides once more Malka explains all he knows to the lost Nala: "His name is Joka; and he is more than just a snake..."
Far across the graveyard on the other side Kovu also searches for someone, his real father named Kivuli. His sister kindly showed him a family tree made on the cavern wall she used to have fun with Kopa and Nuka in as a cub. Kovu however with his dark brown fur and hazy green eyes wonders if searching for his father was a mistake. He remembers his talk with Nala, she told him she didn't need to know who her father was because in this time she was content with her life, she was happy. But even Kovu could tell that inside Nala was not happy, she was just hiding it behind a false smile. And that worries Kovu even more. Slowly walking around a shadowy corner Kovu looks around in all directions; Kovu could look after himself and fend off any evil creatures of the savannah. He once fought off an entire pack of lions for his training. The training his mother Zira put him through, all that violence and killing and it seemed that Kovu was the only one no noticing himself becoming a monster. Stopping at a thin gorge filled with lava at the bottom, he takes a few subtle steps back and takes a large jump cleanly over the small break. It's only at that moment he hears the voice of a few laughing hyena's around the next shadowy corner. Kovu suddenly lowers his body, and creeps around the corner, they were three hyena's, one was laughing manically like he always did and the other two were making jokes, Kovu notices the female of the three hyena's appears to be the leader.
"Shh!" Shenzi the female hyena smacks her fellow hyena Ed on the head with a large white bone. All three of the them grey spotted hyena's remain silent, Kovu remembers his brother Nuka telling him about when the hyena's got chased away from the Elephant Graveyard, and this makes Kovu even more curious as to why they are here once more.
"If she find us here separated from the main group we're dead," Banzi says muffing while chewing on a piece of bone, Banzi the continues going on about Scar and Shenzi growls referring on about to how unrewarding the Elephant Graveyard is all the amusement of Ed who laugh at the arguing pair. It's only at that moment Kovu steps on a small delicate white bone, snapping it clean in two with his paw and sending the sound of it breaking echoing all around the canyons above. The three hyenas; Shenzi, Banzi and Ed all suddenly turn their heads to see Kovu, Kovu was ready for a fight drawing his claws and he could beat them. However Kovu was outnumbered as he suddenly realises they are more than just three of them, looking up on the various terraces of the canyon above him, hundreds of hyenas all feeding, sleeping, they dusty fur almost blended into the canyon's grey walls. Suddenly Kovu turn and runs, dashing around the corner and rushing down the canyons as Shenzi, Banzi and Ed give chase, running faster than the prince, Kovu looks down to see the hyena's gaining on him, but Kovu wasn't looking where he was going and suddenly trips in the thin gap he jumped over before landing flat on his face into the ground the hyena's catch him. The three hyena's and Kovu scuffle, Kovu with his claws drawn slashes at the three beasts as each one tries to pin him down and bite him. "Dinner is served!" Banzi snarls but Kovu struggles with all his might and pushes them off him, as the prince runs away through the horrors of the graveyard a wheezing voice suddenly echoes throughout the dark land,
"Let him go," the familiar voice says as the hyena's growl but obey the order. Kovu recognises the voice also and stops running and turns his head. The weak wheezing voice could only have come from one lioness: Zira! As Kovu turns his head and looks up, standing on the top of the grey canyon wall was Zira herself stood on the wall of the canyon above him even in the cold shadows Zira's deceitful grin could be seen. In that split second Kovu works it all out as he begins running with all his might he also now bares scars on his front from the hyena's bites. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was clear; he had just seen his mother, he wanted to stay and wonder if it really was him, but the hyenas looked very hungry. Kovu rushes out of the Elephant Graveyard the way he came and it's only then he takes a deep breath and stops for a minute. The scar across his right eye gleaming in the dim setting sun behind the dark clouds, Kovu remembers when Simba told him the story of the Daggermouth Gorge and that Zira was swept away in the gorge just like Tama was when the dam broke, but the myth that Zira was still alive and had survived that ordeal is now solved as Kovu suddenly realises: Zira is still alive and not only that but now she is leading the hyenas. Kovu paces up and down and decides to talk to himself:
"She couldn't be here, she was washed away we all saw her fall into the gorge, but that was her voice and that was her smile and now she's with the hyenas. I have to warn Simba!" The prince concludes, dropping all hopes of finding his real father and rushes off towards Priderock in the distance.
In the heart of the Pridelands during all the events going on around the savannah, Rafiki in all his wisdom remains in his wide Baobab tree. The sun had once more gone behind the horizon and the night was filled with the wondrous but equally mysterious stars. All the nocturnal creatures like the African Porcupines awake only the night and the Pridelands never truly sleep. However the ruse of night gave Rafiki the peace he needed deep inside his tree house home. Where the painting of Kopa, the other cub was still on the truck on his tree, Rafiki himself is sat crossed legged in the direct centre of a painted circle. The Baobab fruits of his tree provided as great painting equipment. In complete silence Rafiki meditates alone. As the wise mandrill breathe steady he find himself drifting off into a strange induced vision, where the magic of the savannah truly shows, Rafiki is suddenly drifted off to a place with many white clouds in silence the clouds swirl around him before a large grey shadow appears before the mandrill. The shadow was huge in size standing tall above Rafiki and had the body of a lioness,
"A full circle of events have already begun. The circle began with Zira's vengeance long ago and events will end with the sincere child Kopa. Both it seems have bested death itself and shortly the circle of events will seal inwards and ultimately end. This is their destiny, the fate of a full circle. Heed my warning righteous mandrill. Four will die. It shall begin when the sun next rises." The shadow speaks with a booming female voice, but at the same time the voice was both wise, so all-knowing, Rafiki was not in doubt he was in the presence of an otherworldly being. He manages to build to the confidence to reply "What do you mean? Who are you?" Rafiki says for once he knew not what was happening. The shadow briefly pauses before replying: "I was lost, so very long ago—"
With a quick and sudden tug Rafiki awakes to find it was all a weird dream in his meditation. His eyes go blurry and he quickly shakes his head and jumps up onto his feet and out of the painted circle he drew. Rafiki was a powerful shaman but never had he contacting anyone like he just had. The shadow had contacted him, it seemed so powerful but at t he same time so compassionate and kind. Within the shadows eye's all the secrets of the savannah locked inside them. He decides to keep the vision with the mysterious shadow a secret. But Rafiki can't help thinking, if Zira is still alive, is this the end?
With a deathly grin Zira watches her son run away. The evil lioness was indeed alive, she makes her way down into the canyon with scowling eyes she turns to Shenzi, Banzi and Ed and roars at them;
"Do not hurt Kovu! He is still part of the plan." She growls as the three hyenas cower and run away leaving a trail of dust behind them. Zira remains in the Elephant Graveyard, she turns her head and turns away, walking further into the canyon when eventually she climbs a pile of old white bones and up onto a terrace above all the canyons, below her, hundreds of hyenas all gather below most of them fighting or running around. Zira had no choice but to side with the hyena's they are her old enemy however she blamed Simba for killing Scar and since the hyenas were already familiar with Scar making a pact with them was no so difficult. Zira thought they were idiots, just like her mate before her, she was only using them for a greater goal and the hyenas still hadn't learned that. Roaring loudly she gets the hyenas in order, she wanted Priderock, she wanted it all for herself, both Kovu, Vitani and the other Outlanders betrayed her and after everything she was not going to give up. Zira shouts down to all the hyenas in the canyon below: "Get the rest of your colony ready, tomorrow when the sun first rises, we shall stride for war!"
Four journeys have finished and the past has been found. But each journey found not exactly what was intended. As events quickly unfold with sudden and almost immediate haste surely now the fate of the Pridelands must be sealed as the sun sets once more, night falls and as all the creatures from the Bushbabies upon the treetops to the Aardvarks of the undergrowth all settle down to sleep and rest, with an army of hyenas growing in the Elephant Graveyard let by Zira, from the icy chills of the Dry Forest being slowly frozen to Kivuli, Kovu's real father who was so suddenly found in the Outlands as they all return to Priderock tomorrow will certainly bring another dark day in Pridelands history.
"Four will still die..."
End of Episode VI.