Revamped!
Chapter 23: African Storms Part Seven
Wakanda's Palace - 14:34 PM
Iqadi wakes up in a pile of dirt, breathing sporadically. Her heart is pulsating in her chest, about to burst out as she spits dirt from her mouth. She coughs loudly, rubbing her arms since she's suddenly shivering. Her vision is blurry as she shakes her head.
Iqadi doesn't remember much. All she can recall is her father not being dead, stopping her mother's storm, and becoming bionic upon ingesting the heart-shaped herb.
She feels someone grab her and she screams until her vision adjusts. Once it clears up, she sees Imanu kneeling in the dirt with her. When she can finally see his relieved face streaked with tears, he hugs her.
Iqadi wraps her arms around her and looks around. She's lying in the pit and took a trip to the astral plane that she doesn't remember at all, probably because she isn't meant to go there yet. Or maybe she didn't visit there at all. She looks at her parents who are holding each other close, walking up to her to embrace her when Imanu steps back/
"Father…" Iqadi mutters. "I'm glad you're dead."
T'Challa smiles up at her. "You're not having the throne yet."
"I don't think I'm ready for it after that."
"You were phenomenal."
T'Challa's smile brightens which puts Iqadi at ease. It wasn't as bad as it felt. Ororo looks over at Iqadi. Iqadi makes her way over and her mother kisses her hand.
"Thank you, my darling," Ororo tells her sincerely. "That is from your father and myself."
"Anything for my family and country," Iqadi responds. She could be the Black Panther one day.
Ororo tightens her grip on Iqadi's hand lovingly. Her parents help her up out of the pit and she brushes all the dirt off her body. When they gesture for her to leave ahead of them, Iqadi lets them go first, needing a moment alone with Imanu. Once the door closes behind them, Iqadi puts her hands on her hips and takes a satisfied breath, relieved that this is all over. Wakanda will slowly repair itself and everything will be back to normal. No citizens were harmed and are helping in the rebuilding process. She looks over at Imanu and sees him still sitting in the pit.
"How is your family?" Iqadi asks.
"They're fine. They got to safety in time and are helping out there. Speaking of, you were marvellous out there. I knew you could handle it."
"It felt like my skeleton was about to tear itself apart," Iqadi responds. "I can't describe what that feeling was like but it didn't feel safe. It didn't feel right."
"But you didn't let it overpower you. Your father told me he couldn't take the herb the first time."
Iqadi scoffs. "He was probably saying that to make me feel better. He does that a lot."
Imanu shrugs. "Look, while your mother was in that trance, she saw me as myself but you and your father as threats. Do you think there was a reason for that?"
Iqadi shrugs. "The mind is complicated. If it weren't for you digging my father out, we might have lost her and Wakanda forever."
Imanu scoffs this time. "Please, I'm not threatening. After I dug out your father, he almost made me stay inside."
"So you defied an order?"
"Didn't sound like an order."
"Are you sure?"
Imanu nods as Iqadi pulls him up. It was probably an order but he can't remember. Too much has happened since. They're covered in dirt and tears but that doesn't stop anything. She holds him close and smiles at him.
"I would have never thought about sending the people underground," Iqadi says, proud of her husband for thinking of that strategy a while ago.
"Because you are claustrophobic," Imanu responds with a small laugh.
"Oh, hush…" Iqadi laughs before sighing. "I apologize."
"For what?"
Iqadi puts a hand to her temple. "I almost lost my mother due to all those stupid contingency plans."
"But you refused to use them."
"That is not the point, Imanu. These plans were meant to resolve problems when there are no other solutions available but they seem to cause more issues. Even the idea of it all caused us to lose -"
Imanu hugs her tightly, cutting her off. He holds her tenderly and Iqadi softly sobs in his arms.
"It's okay," Imanu whispers to her. "It was probably a sign telling us that we were not ready. I doubt that we still are now."
Iqadi wishes she could believe that. Imanu wishes the same. He only said that to be optimistic and Iqadi knows that. She loves him for at least trying to be optimistic, though. If anything, he's been optimistic this whole time.
"I know but I still feel responsible for it all. God, Imanu, we were so close. The only thing I don't regret about creating that plan all those years ago was spending that day with you."
"You know how I feel about that day. I could've never left you after that."
He smiles before kissing her, taking her by surprise which she slowly eases into. As he runs his hands through her tangled hair, he can feel her smile a little before she wraps her arms over her shoulders. As they continue to kiss, she thinks back to all the good in their relationship. Getting married, falling in love, all their little adventures in between.
She parts for a moment, still holding him over the shoulders. "What's the weather right now?"
Imanu eyes her. "Last I checked, it was overcast. Why?"
Iqadi smiles as she turns her eyes white. "Forecast required sunshine and clear skies, didn't it?"
[About what Iqadi and Imanu were discussing towards the end, feel free to take a guess. It will be revealed later in the story when something will come up again]. [2020: I recently wrote that part in SA and it scarred me for life].
