Author: Daggermouth
Lion King 4
Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts
Chapter:VII – Sarafina the Lonely.
In the heart of the Pridelands, everybody gathers at Priderock with the exception of Vitani and Kivuli, everyone else stands on Priderock, all of them nuzzling, hugging and talking to eachother. All of them discussing the events what happened to them. But as everyone gathers upon Priderock one lioness remains alone, Sarafina. It seems with everybody else in their individual events she was forgotten about, but Sarafina enjoyed the peace and solace, after leaving the cave she ventures out into the savannah to take a long drink at the largest watering hole. In the thick of night as she drank Sarafina could see the stars in the reflection of the still water. Yawning slightly, Sarafina looks up and stretches, she looks up at the stars, she has had many mates in the past, she remembers Taka whom she loved in the past, but when Taka became Scar and let the darkness touch his heart Sarafina had to move on from him, but she can't help but feel, lonely. After her long rest she leisurely walks towards Priderock. The journey is quickly over but as Sarafina reaches Priderock she is greeted with arguments and everyone discussing plans. She sits and watches however saying nothing but noticing the chaos and listening carefully she picks out bits of information:
"Zira is alive and she's made a pact with all the hyena's to take over Priderock once and for all. I saw her with my own eyes; they were hundreds of hyena's; an army of them in the Elephant Graveyard." Kovu talks quickly out of breathe his heart beating fast, he needed to relax.
"What about the Dry Forest we need help over there too," Chumvi roars over at Kovu who is meant to be acting as the new prince and helping the Pridelands. "We still have to find my brother Kopa, he's still missing!" Kiara says to her father hoping for a straight answer, finally Sarafina roars louder than everyone else, and everyone stops to look at her. The air turns silent; as Sarafina creates order and everyone takes their turns to part their worries with Simba. Obviously Simba cannot just leave the Pridelands with all this drama, Kovu was not skilled enough to deal with the king's problems and Simba didn't want to place that entire burden on him all at once. And there was still the matter of finding Kopa who seemed to have disappeared.
"One problem at a time," Simba says to himself. It only at that moment in the thick of night that Vitani and Kivuli finally arrive at Priderock after travelling a long journey from the Outlands, Kivuli was very withdrawn and slowly walked up to join everyone else, everyone was staring at him and Kivuli turns to see his son for the first time in years. An instinct inside him just knew that this was his son. The oblivious Kovu grunts as his father approaches him.
"You have his eyes" Sarafina say over the prince and smiles, It's only when Kovu looks inside his father's green eyes that he realises. All those times Sarafina had told him, about his green eyes, she always said that they had the same eyes, Kovu suddenly realises what she meant and this was his real father.
"Dad...?" Kovu finally musters the courage to say, his father nods and the two suddenly embrace one another. They had finally found eachother.
As everyone else prepares for an attack, Simba has work to do, and they shall be ready to finish Zira once and for all. This means Kovu, Sarafina, and Kivuli are gathered upon Priderock. By now the monument was getting quite crowded. Kivuli's fur is almost grey in colour because he has spent so much time in the Shadowland and know's much about the dark land. His mane is dark black just like the shadows he is named after. A family reunited, Sarafina is happy that father and son are together. And Sarafina has a long history with Kivuli. It was Sarafina who first introduced Zira to Kivuli so very long ago. Far away from Priderock the three of them go for a walk, to get away from all the havoc at Priderock, together the three of them lay in a small palm forest north of Priderock. It was time for some answers.
"Long ago I was born into the Shadowland, with no mother, or father, I grew up alone, but when I grew up I became selfish and almost hateful of the world. And this is where Sarafina helped me, I found her and she brought me to the Pridelands where, in secret she introduced me to Zira. At this time Scar was king and Simba was deemed dead. While Scar was mad with power and pride, I kept meeting with Zira in secret and this is how you came into the world my son I fell in love with Zira, at the time she was sane and a most beautiful lioness. Eventually Scar was defeated and everyone was forced to mirage to the Grass Wall while the Pridelands recovered and regrew. And this is where and when you were born. You were born in Grass Wall and if I remember correctly, you were born on the exact same day Kopa was. When Zira went mad with revenge and the loss of Scar, I could not help her and I left for my home in the Shadowland. I regret it so deeply, I shouldn't of left you alone with that monster," Kivuli parts his story with a sigh, still regretting everything he has done, Sarafina nuzzles him, she has been a good friend, but she also shares the pain of Kivuli.
"Father, it's not your fault, it was the darkness, it possessed Scar, it has Zira and I think that maybe there's darkness inside me too; I've being searching for you, I need to know what this darkness is" Reflecting back Kovu remembers all the conversations he had with Simba and Kiara all about the mysterious darkness.
"My son, you have worked so very hard to get into the position you are in now, the Lion *King trusts you and in all your temptations you sought it inside yourself to do the right thing. No darkness will ever dampen your heart my son," Kivuli says wisely, he is weak and old; he is what is known as an elder lion. Kovu smiles at his real father and gets up,
"It really is you..." Kovu smiles he can hardly believe it, a few days ago he was rolling down Priderock with Kopa fighting for his position to be the next king fearing that darkness inside drove him into it. But now he is here with his father and suddenly he feels whole once more. He looks over at his father and then over at Sarafina, his past was unwinding before him and he couldn't be happier.
Suddenly there's a loud roar, emanating across the whole of the Pridelands. One solitary roar is the call to arms. War once more was at Priderock, the feeling seemed almost customary to everyone. In the heat of it all Chumvi and Kula are dragged into helping. Kula, Vitani, Nala and Kiara help prepare the lionesses to attack many of the lionesses were once loyal to Zira and so preparations are difficult. Chumvi and Simba help the animals of the savannah to find safe land so they shall not be injured. Rafiki standing tall on the top branch of his Baobab tree gets a good view as the hyenas being emerging from the Elephant Graveyard. The mandrill signals to Zazu as the hornbill bird swoops down his little blue wings flapping swiftly as he flies through the dark of night. Simba now stood on the end of the terrace of Priderock his mane blowing the high wind as a gust a wind swirls around him. Simba looks up the at the many twinkling stars as Zazu swoops down beside him. Simba looks directly up at the brightest star in the sky, this was Mohatu, the first ever Lion King who became the brightest star in the sky. Then Simba looks down on his entire kingdom, the Pridelands, so many battles have been fought here, and so many more battles to come. Simba can't help but think that the prophecy is coming true: 'The sought successor as the rightful heir will return. Then equilibrium of this world will be broken.' Kopa was the successor and he returned just as the forewarning explained. And now, the equilibrium of the world is broken, so many problems happening all at once the balance of the savannah is uneasy. But little did Simba know another prophecy was given to his missing son Kopa. The army of hyenas approach in the distance as just mere dots on the horizon, approaching slowly, they had little more time to prepare. It was time. The yellow sun slowly edges it way up across the night sky, the night had gone quickly and once again many of the lions have had little or no sleep. They were on the brink of exhaustion but they had to keep going, just one more day. Simba gets down from Priderock and joins the lionesses and together beneath Priderock, they wait as the burning sun erupts the sky into light around them.
Zira leading her hyena colony forward they walk towards Priderock, the hyenas snapping and laughing ready and eager for battle. It's the first time Zira has been in the Pridelands for a long time and this time she is assured she will win. As she approaches Priderock both small armies stand on either side of the battleground, and once again Simba and Zira see themselves facing off. Zira looks across to see her daughter Vitani on the other side; she can't help but feel that her own daughter is different somehow in that she seemed happier in herself.
"So you really did survive," Simba scowls at the evil lioness. Zira doesn't reply instead she just paces back and forth, before stopping in the centre, she orders the attack. Suddenly the hyenas and lionesses dash towards eachother growling and fighting the two groups meet in the centre and fight without mercy. Colliding together the lionesses dive at the hyenas but while they were outnumbered they were also stronger than the hyenas. Simba rushes through the madness to find Zira but is suddenly knocked over by a hyena in a fight, shaking his head Simba immediately gets back us as four hyenas pounce on him he growls and scratches them clawing them off him with his strength. Everyone was using the last of their energy to fight. Chumvi was fighting together with Vitani and Kula was fighting alongside Kiara. And Simba couldn't find Zira anywhere, instead he kept fighting, but the wave of hyena's kept coming as the battle waged onwards. Kovu, Sarafina and Kivuli the three of them together rush from the forest towards the battle ground, Kovu dives into the fight, he was one of the few who has been resting and now it showed as he bashed the hyenas away. Biting into her back Sarafina faces off against two hyenas on her own, she was old but she still could fight pouncing forward she attacks with lightning quick movement. Kivuli however rushes up onto the terrace of Priderock where he finds Zira, his old mate. She is stood watching the fighting and barking orders to her new allies. Kivuli approaches her and the evil lioness turns to see him.
"I knew you would be here Kivuli, I have been waiting for this day a very long time." Together the two old mates circle eachother atop Priderock. Meanwhile down below in the scuffles everyone keeps fighting but the battle keeps raging on and everyone was losing their energy especially with lack of sleep. Kiara manages to escape the scuffles and back away slightly to catch his breath. Suddenly by her side is her eccentric friend Rafiki,
"Go find him, you know where to look, we can fend off Zira until you return, go find your brother," The mandrill parts his unprecedented guidance with Kiara before giving a loud eccentric battle cry and jumps into the battle smashing the hyenas with his large shaman stick. As the fighting continues Kiara cannot help but think all this has happened before, under the burning sun he realises everyone is losing their strength too quickly, Kiara looks at the large battle infront of her, and then looks on the horizon, there's only one lion that can truly stop Zira's madness: Kopa. She shakes his head and gives loud roar before dashing off towards the horizon, taking Rafiki's advice and leaving the battle behind herself she runs far off towards the east. Kopa is the only cub strong enough to stop Zira, Kopa was strong for his age, he always was, Kopa was stronger than Simba was just a cub and Kopa is the only one with an intertwining past with Zira. Everyone else was either too tired to fight or too weak to hold off the hyenas. Kiara had to hurry. She dashes off away from battle, hoping to find her brother and end this, once and for all.
Atop Priderock, Zira and Kivuli continue to circle eachother, as a group of hyenas suddenly approach up behind the elder lion Kivuli. The evil lioness now grins knowing she now has the upper hand she approaches Kivuli closer until they're directly faced onwards.
"I've been setting traps in the Pridelands for so long now. It was me who set the fire, it was meant to end Kiara once and for all and I laid all those traps across the Pridelands. I have been waiting for this day. The day I would meet you again my love, join me Kivuli, together we can be the queen and king of the Pridelands. Together we can rule everything." Zira says piercingly her voice sounding most sincere; she was truly lost to the darkness. Behind the two old mates, Sarafina rushes to help Kivuli her old friend, she tries to fight the hyenas trapping him until they suddenly turn to her and Sarafina becomes cornered against the lion's den, with a quick slash of her claw she strikes the closest hyena causing it to run off in pain.
"Sarafina! Yeah, I remember you the time you ate my father and left me as an orphan!" Banzi suddenly yells and steps forward infront of his fellow hyenas. The lioness was trapped as she backs up inside the lion's den slowly. Sarafina remembers the day, the day she took the life of Banzi's hyena father. Banzi was just a small cub as the time but his father was a ruthless hyena, a cold blooded murderer, but as an act of mercy Sarafina let the little pup Banzi live. She remembers that day all too well, it was Sarafina's first ever hunt. Banzi scowls as Sarafina as she keeps backing up until she suddenly steps on something. Stopping still she turns her head to look down at her paw and her face saddens. Sarafina stepped on a black rock. A black rock in the shape of a perfect scarab. The precursor of death had come to her and her heart sinks as she gases at the mysterious rock. Sarafina tries to call for help but by them she's already surrounded and outnumbered, Sarafina looks head on at the hyenas and sadly closes her eyes... That moment the winds change and the air grows eerie, Nala's blood runs cold, she could feel a sudden sadness overcome her, she froze and suddenly knew from a strange instinct inside her, her mother was in danger. Nala rips apart one of the smaller hyena and rushes through the fighting to find her mother. As the queen rushes up to the lion's den Banzi hastily runs down past her, his maw was covered in dry blood stains. Nala rushes to the lion's den where inside she is greeted with horror. Sarafina was laid on the rocky floor of the lion's den, she wasn't moving and her body was covered in scars, and cradled tightly in Sarafina's paw was the Black Scarab. Nala in disbelief suddenly rushes to her mother, Nala puts her head to her mother's chest; she was still breathing, but only barely. Nala cradles her mother after the fighting with her old rival Banzi. Sarafina turns her head and coughs weakly looking up at her daughter,
"Everything has its time; and everything passes on." Sarafina coughs weakly.
"Don't leave me, not like this!" Nala yells in tears lying above her dying mother. Nala shakes in disbelief, she grips her mother tightly not wanting to let go,
"You need to know, about your father," Sarafina gasps for air, she was fading away in her daughters paws.
"Please, just hold on," Nala replies fearing the worst, Sarafina manages keeps her eyes open, the old lioness looks directly into her daughters, she still has strength for this,
"He was a kind lion. The kindest lion I've even known. We met on the Evenstar Beach; he had such striking eyes and flaking fur, we are so proud of you Nala..." Sarafina smile's and remembers back to a happier time. She has had many lovers as was never truly alone. Flashbacks of her time flood her memory giving Sarafina one last taste of true happiness.
"Don't go, not like father did," Nala weeps with Sarafina looking down upon her honest mother. Not wanting to let go, not accepting anything any more. Sarafina gains the strength to say one last thing—
"Oh my beautiful Nala: Your father never left us. He is...still...here..." Sarafina draws her last breath and slowly drifts away in her daughter's paws resting her tired eyes for the last time. Sarafina's arm falls to the floor letting the Black Scarab roll across the ground. She was at peace now. Nala in utter shock hugs her mother so tightly, roaring loudly the tears streaming down her face, the pain was agonizing. Sarafina was gone.
End of Episode VII.