The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 45: Conversion

In the middle of the night, Baturu was in his lair, sitting down, facing the rocky wall. "My king." A young lion arrived, standing right at the entrance to the cave.

"Come in." Baturu said with a cold tone.

The young lion entered. "The warriors are ready, I suggest t…"

"We'll wait, Dezu." Baturu lowered down his gaze. "Until the final battle comes."

Dezu raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I say so." Baturu replied angrily while looking at Dezu with a hostile glare.

"But…" Dezu was interrupted.

Baturu roared at him strongly, making him crouch and back away with great fear. "Go away! You're not Denji!" He walked towards him while frowning. "You're one more of them, just another worthless subject! Stop bothering me or I'll kill you!"

"Y…yes my king." Dezu rushed away from him, exiting the cave hurriedly.

Baturu lowered his gaze, shaking his head while sighing. "What are you waiting for, Kion?" He slowly looked up, seeing the dim stars of the night through the cave's entrance. "What are you waiting for?!" He let out a fierce growl.

Meanwhile, Garia was taking a walk, feeling the soft and cold grass touching her paws, the air stroking her face and the life that laid in her womb. "Your father is busy right now." She mumbled lovingly. "Taking care of some…unwanted affairs." She sighed with hope. "But it will all be over soon."

"Who are you talking to?" Zale approached her all of a sudden.

Garia gasped, jumping slightly by seeing Zale right next to her. She sighed with relief. "Oh, you gave me such a fright, boy."

"Oh…sorry." Zale replied.

Garia smirked at him."It's alright. I was just talking to my cub."

Zale looked around with confusion, raising an eyebrow. "Uhm, where is he?"

Garia chuckled. "My offspring still lives inside me."

"Oh, so maybe is a she." Zale replied.

"Maybe." Garia replied, then looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? Uhm…"

"Oh I'm Zale." He revealed. "What's your name?"

"Garia." She said amicably. "Nice to meet you."

"Same, Garia. Uhm…I should be sleeping, yeah. But I can't." Zale replied.

"Why? Is something troubling you?" Garia inquired as they walked under the stars of the night.

"I don't know. It's just…I was somewhere else a few days ago, it was a nice place, I liked it. But my uncle and my mom wanted us to come back here." Zale responded. "And, as soon as we returned, all began to feel…bad." Zale lowered down his gaze. "My aunt died, my brother Keru and my dad are angry at each other." He sighed. "I try to see the positive, the…good things, but…it's just hard."

"Oh." Garia nuzzled his head gently. "I'm sorry, Zale. Life is like that sometimes, difficult, painful."

"A lot of times." Zale replied with sadness.

"True. But…as you said, see the positive." Garia looked at him with a smile. "You're back home, in the place you belong. Problems will appear eventually, it is…inevitable. What you can do is…to see them as lesson, tests, experiences that will make you stronger."

Zale sighed. "I know that."

"Cheer up, little cub." Garia chuckled while glaring into the stars. "You will never be alone."

Zale gazed at the stars as well. "My uncle and my dad used to talk about that."

"About what?" Garia inquired.

"About…the one that is…uhm…" Zale got thoughtful. "There was a song." He closed his eyes. "…He lives in you…He…lives in me."

"He watches over…" Garia added. "...everything we see."

"Into the water…into…the…" Zale tried to remember the rest.

"Truth." Garia looked at him.

Zale nodded. "In your reflection..." Zale glared at her. "...He lives in you." He looked away, thoughtful and intrigued. "My dad, my uncle…they used to sing that while looking up there." He focused his gaze in the vast, night sky. "Who is…He? The one they talk about?"

"It's a very good question, little cub." Garia replied. "That song is known everywhere, in the Outlands, Ferezan, in Nandari. My mother sung it to me as well, as a remainder." She looked back into Zale's eyes. "That I would never be alone."

Zale felt a lump in his throat. "I wanna know." A tear ran down his face. "I wanna know who He is."

"The ancient dwellers called Him "Mungu." Garia responded.

Zale's eyes widened. "Mungu…and where is He?"

Garia chuckled. "You have the answer already."

Zale thought for a moment. "He lives in me?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "How?"

"He…just does." Garia replied. "Old drawings say He is a beautiful white Lion, that was here before everyone else, before everything."

"Yeah…I think uncle Kion mentioned it once." Zale said. "Well…I'm glad to know…" He said with a broken voice, then let out a sob. "...that I'm not…alone." He started to cry.

"Oh, little boy." Garia got closer to him and nuzzled his head. "Something huge has entered your heart. Bigger than all the land, than war and peace, even bigger than the sun and the moon." She gazed into the stars again. "Life makes us forget, though, because we let it."

"I…I don't understand." Zale replied.

Garia sighed. "Just…never forget what you're feeling now, share it, and embrace it." She looked away with thoughtful eyes. "I hadn't thought of it for a long time." She glared back at Zale. "But you made me remember…and this new life that lays inside me."

"I promise." Zale sobbed. "I won't forget Mungu. I'll…ask my uncle, my dad, my…mom, I want to live in peace again, I want my…" He sobbed. "…family, to live in peace again."

Garia stroked his forehead. "Do that, little one." She smiled at her. "Thanks."

"For what?" Zale inquired.

"For making me remember." Garia replied.

After a few minutes, Zale returned to the cave. Everyone was sleeping, he glared at his father and walked towards him. "Daddy." Zale mumbled when approaching him, patting his snout with his paw.

"Mm?" Kovu expressed sleepily.

"Uhm, can…can you tell me about…Mungu?" Zale inquired.

Kovu sighed. "Tomorrow." He yawned.

Zale looked down. "Okay." He glared at his uncle Kion. "Sleep well dad."

"Mhm." Kovu replied.

Zale began to walk towards his uncle, who was not as deeply asleep as Kovu. "Uncle Kion?"

Kion opened his eyes right away. "Oh, Zale."

"Uhm…I want to know about…something." Zale said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Kion yawned softly.

"Well, Mungu. The…white lion." Zale responded.

Kion's eyes widened. "Oh, that's what is keeping you awake, nephew. That is…interesting."

"Mhm." Zale replied. "How can I learn more about him?"

"Do you remember the song, Zale?" Kion inquired. "The one we sung at the sky above?"

"Yes, I do." Zale replied.

"Oh, that's good to know." Kion said. "There are some, drawings that could help you know everything we know about…Mungu." He thought for a moment. "The old lair of the Lion Guard, have you been there?"

"A couple of times, yes." Zale said.

"Okay. Pay attention at the drawings on the walls, I'm sure that is what you're looking for." Kion smiled at him.

Zale smiled. "Thanks uncle."

"No problem…" Kion yawned. "…get some sleep."

Zale looked at the cave's exit. "I…I will." He walked away from his uncle, waiting for him to fall asleep again. Zale walked towards the exit and came out of the cave. He walked down Pride Rock cautiously.

The cub walked over the soft and cold grass, thinking on Mungu, picturing his imposing, white mane. "Are you by my side right now?" He mumbled, feeling a warm breeze caressing his body afterwards. There was no fear in his young heart, but happiness and intrigue. After several minutes, he arrived at the tall entrance of the lair of the Lion Guard. Zale entered, the luminescent insects and flowers illuminated the inside of the lair, clean and intact, as if the Lion Guard had never left. Zale started to inspect the walls with his sight, interpreting the drawings he was seeing. A circle with dots inside and a big paw over it, the faces of two cubs, a male and a female, a fire consuming trees and mountains, tribes of lions and other animals, all below a drawing, one of a white lion. "What does this mean?" Zale asked himself with a mumble. He kept looking at the drawings, seeing continuous lion faces with rays of light surrounding them, until reaching the final one. He turned and walked towards another wall, where a huge heart was drawn, and inside of it, the face of the white lion. "Love." He lowered down his head, deeply thoughtful, moved by everything he just saw, even if he didn't understand it completely. "Do they still know?" He closed his eyes. "Mungu, do they still know?" He felt a lump in his throat, a tear ran down his face. "I…I'll do what I can, to make them remember." Zale glared upwards, with conviction and faith. "I promise." A thunder sounded afterwards, scaring Zale a bit. "I…I promise, Mungu." He gave a quick look at all the drawings again, then left the lair.