Big worries
"That's totally cool!" Sora shouted excitedly and jumped up and down the natural rock steps in his sleeping cave.
His jumps were high, and at the and the little lion did a somersault in the air. Luckily, his cat-like reflexes were well-developed, which meant that he always landed on his paws and didn't hurt himself. Much to the relief of the two lionesses, who weren't exactly thrilled that the ash-brown cub was jumping so high or using the rocks as a playground.
"Okay, Sora. That's enough, I think you've jumped enough for today," said Sarabi with motherly concern, who had also climbed up the rock steps and grabbed the cub by the neck.
"I'm saying the same, the day was exciting enough," said Sarafina, slightly nervous, and waited below.
"Oh... I wanted to jump a bit more," said Sora, somewhat disappointed, as he was carried down by the lioness and set down on the ground.
"I would prefer if you practiced sneaking a bit more. Although it does reassure me that you can jump to high places," explained the former queen and began to lick the cub.
The cub felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but enjoyed the beige lioness's licking. It felt pleasant, even when she licked him on the head. Sarafina smiled at the scene. After everything that had happened today, it was a beautiful sight and reminded the cream-colored lioness of better times. And also that she urgently needed to spend time with her daughter today, who knows, maybe she can take Nala to Sora. He had an encouraging disposition, and it would do Nala good to have some distance from the hyenas. After a while of thorough grooming, Sarabi had tamed the lion cub's mane a bit, and it looked less prickly. At least for a few seconds, before immediately jumping back into its old form. The former queen was a little startled, which made Sarafina laugh.
"I think you've met your match with the mane. Your experience won't help you there either," said the lioness in an amused tone to her friend.
"Well, that doesn't matter. After all, it's part of him and makes him unique," said Sarabi, ruffling her hair a little.
Sora just laughed and rolled free from the older lioness's grip. The beige lioness had to admit that this was a pretty original idea, and tried to wrestle the young male down with her paw. But Sora counterattacked and jumped at the larger lioness's chest, jumping way too high and over Sarabi. This surprised him so much that he didn't manage to land properly and slipped when he hit the ground with his four paws. Luckily, it wasn't bad, the cub just did a somersault and remained lying on the ground on his belly while he stretched out his legs.
"That's exactly why I told you not to overdo it with the jumping. Now you've defeated yourself, and I've won," said Sarabi, placing her paw triumphantly on his back while Sarafina smiled at him.
"Not fair, again. I'm definitely going to win," said Sora confidently and looked up at the former queen.
"You have to postpone that until next time. Her Majesty and Sarafina have to go now so that you can make it back to the King's Rock in time," said Rafiki and approached the three lions.
Both lionesses knew that it was time; after all, they still had to catch prey and bring it back to the King's Rock. Above all, Scar would be grumpy and act up again today, but luckily Sarabi already knew how she would handle it. For now, it was important not to come back without prey. Otherwise, the self-righteous king would become suspicious of what she had done today.
"Do you really have to go already?" Sora asked sadly and looked at the two females with big cub eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sora. But we still have to hunt, and we have a long way to go back. See you tomorrow," promised Sarabi in an encouraging tone.
"And we might bring a little surprise with us," said Sarafina with a smile, and ruffled the cub's mane.
The young lion giggled and jumped around excitedly. He was already happy to have met Sarafina today, and the prospect of another surprise made him literally jump for anticipation. Luckily, only a few centimeters and not up to three meters high.
"Rafiki, I want to talk to you for a bit. Would you look after Sora for a moment, Sarafina?" asked Sarabi.
"Of course, come on, Sora. Would you like to play catch?" asked the cream-colored lioness, amused.
"Yes, of course. If I catch you, will you tell me what the surprise is?" the ash-brown lion tried to find out Sarafina's secret.
They both went to the back of the cave, leaving the mandrill and the former queen near the waterfall. As soon as the two were far enough away, the beige female stood so that her back was turned to the two lions.
Her face became worried, and she spoke in an anxious tone: "Rafiki, what's going on here? Sora jumps like a caracal and even does somersaults in the air, I've never seen a lion cub jump like that."
"Well. Sora is a very unusual cub. We both knew that from the beginning, but we weren't aware of the extent of it until now," explained the Mjuzi in a thoughtful tone.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that Sora jumped so high today. But I don't feel comfortable with him jumping around so high, especially not around rocks. What if he starts swimming like a fish or climbing like a monkey. Or... or flying," Sarabi said worriedly, her front paws becoming more and more restless.
"Well... now I think you're worrying too much. Could it be that you're worried that the young lion might put himself in danger?" the mandrill asked worriedly, raising an eyebrow.
"Back then... back then, Simba went to the elephant graveyard with Nala. He wanted to prove that he was just as brave as Mufasa. Young lions can be impulsive, what if Sora does something like that too. I can't protect him, not in the way he needs. Not like Mufasa could," said the former queen in a dejected tone and hung her head.
Just the thought of her former companion made her heart ache—what they would give for him to be here. At the same time, it also made her realize how irreplaceable he is and how great the former king was. Mufasa was able to keep the hyenas at bay with his presence alone and gave all the inhabitants of the sacred land security. He was able to protect her and Simba from all difficulties, unlike her. Today had shown Sarabi again how powerless she was. If the three hyenas had discovered Sora, it would have been an emergency. Not even with Sarafina's help could Shenzi keep Banzai and Ed at bay. If the ash-brown lion had not jumped into the upper caves, the female hyena would have seen him, and they would have had to kill the three scavengers.
"Rafiki... I feel so weak and inadequate. It's not just Sora, everything is falling apart under my paws. The Pride Lands, my pack... I want to protect what is important to me. I'm not nearly as great as Mufasa. And Scar and the hyenas are only making everything worse. When I was lost in my grief, I never realized how much I could lose. Today I was afraid... afraid that I wouldn't be able to protect another cub. That I would lose Sora... like Simba," Sarabi said in a dejected tone and was close to tears.
The mandrill looked at her sympathetically and approached the former queen. He gently placed a hand on the lioness's shoulder, who looked at him sadly. It was one of the rare moments when Rafiki didn't look cheerful or carefree. The Mjuzi looked at the beige lioness with understanding, but seemed confident.
"You know, Mufasa and I had a conversation a long time ago. It was the night before he officially became king of the sacred land. You should have seen him then, he was very excited and a little unsure about the great responsibility he would have from the next day," Rafiki said, laughing a little sadly at his friend's thought.
Sarabi looked at him in surprise and spoke in an incredulous voice: "I can't imagine that, he always seemed so sure and convinced that he would be a good king."
"Oh yes... he was. Because he had you, the fact that you became his queen gave him more confidence than anything else. Among all the lionesses, there was no one who was more determined, stronger, more sensitive and more loving than you. He told me that only with you at his side could he manage to become a great king," said the Mjuzi in a sympathetic tone and smiled encouragingly at the beige female.
The little story about her deceased companion warmed the former queen's heart and made her smile slightly. It was no secret to Sarabi what the deceased king thought of her. Because she and Mufasa had the same opinion of each other, without him, she would never have managed to survive as queen. And yet, her heart was heavy, sadness and pain almost tore it apart.
"If I were really such a great lioness, I wouldn't have let him and Simba die," Sarabi said in a dejected tone and stood up to walk away from the mandrill.
"It wasn't your fault that you couldn't do anything for Mufasa or Simba that day. You couldn't have foreseen what happened in the canyon. Today, not everything may have gone the way you wanted. But you still gave Sora the time he needed to get to safety," Rafiki said confidently, pointing in the direction of the ash-brown lion.
The young lion was just running towards Sarafina and trying to catch her. But the cream-colored lioness skillfully jumped to the side and ran away again. Both laughed loudly, apparently even the mother lion was enjoying playing with a cub without being afraid of hyenas. Sarabi was happy about the sight, but it also reminded her of the bleak situation at King's Rock.
"Sarafina deserves to play with Nala just as carefree as she can with Sora here. Tell me yourself, Rafiki, how long can the lionesses hold out?" asked the former queen in a hopeless tone and looked at the mandrill.
"A legitimate question, hopefully long enough until we find a solution. For now, we should concentrate on what we can change and make sure that things don't get any worse," suggested the Mjuzi and looked over at Sora.
"Got you!" shouted the little lion and grabbed the lioness's tail with his paws.
"I guess I wasn't fast enough, or you were just too fast," said Sarafina, amused, and let her tail dance playfully between the cub's paws.
Sora immediately started to fight with the tip and hold on, but the lioness managed to free herself. He laughed amusedly, just like the cream-colored lioness. Nala always liked playing with her tail, especially when she caught it. It had been a while since she had been able to play with her daughter so carefree, though, and the lioness regretted that deeply. After all, it wouldn't be long before she grew up.
"Are you OK, Sarafina? You looked a little depressed for a moment?" Sarabi asked worriedly as she approached her friend.
"No, it's nothing. I... I was just thinking about Nala, the whole day has taken its toll on me," explained the cream-colored lioness and looked back at the little lion, who turned onto his paws.
"Did you get hurt in the fight? Your fight looked pretty wild?" Sora asked worriedly and walked towards the lionesses.
"No... I wasn't. I... I was just a little afraid that something might happen to you," Sarafina answered in a worried voice and stroked the lion cub's head.
"Well... I was also afraid that something would happen to you.
That's why I tried desperately to reach the cave. I thought... I thought that if I hid well enough and the hyenas didn't find me, you wouldn't have to fight anymore," explained the ash-brown lion, slightly worried, as he thought back to the fight between the two lionesses.
Sarabi and Sarafina looked at each other with surprised eyes; Sora had really been more worried about them than about himself. By now the two knew the young male's generosity and were still surprised. However, there were limits to selflessness, and the beige lioness didn't want the ash-brown lion cub to take danger lightly.
"Sora, it's very nice of you to think of us.
But Sarafina and I are adults, you don't have to take us into consideration. You, on the other hand, are still a cub, you were in much greater danger than we were. It was precisely because we were worried about you that we had so much strength to fight the hyenas," explained Sarabi in a sympathetic yet strict tone, whereupon the cub still looked at her with concern.
"Sarabi is right, you don't have to be afraid for us. But otherwise, you did a great job today, we didn't even notice you sneaking through the tall grass. And the idea of hiding in the higher caves was also good, especially since you did it all by yourself. For a cub, that was outstanding," said Sarafina and smiled encouragingly.
Sora seemed to understand what the two meant, and he was glad that the two lionesses were looking after him so well. He resolved to become more skilled with his Keyblade in the future so that he could defend himself in an emergency. Unfortunately, the two lionesses had to leave soon, and Rafiki opened a passage near the waterfall.
"See you soon, Sora, I'll come visit you as soon as possible. And next time I'll even bring a surprise with me," Sarafina said goodbye, whereupon the little lion jumped excitedly.
Sarafina gently stroked his and said a little sadly: "See you tomorrow.
I hope the day wasn't too terrible for you."
"I was a little scared... but... but I knew that somehow it would be okay. You and Sarafina looked after me," Sora said in a cheerful tone and smiled confidently.
Sarafina was quite embarrassed that the young lion had so much trust in her. After all, she wasn't as strong as Sarabi and, above all, didn't have her fighting skills. And yet, it felt nice that the cub had such a high opinion of her. Sarabi was also happy that Sora trusted her, even though he saved himself today. She had to think of her conversation with Rafiki and what Mufasa once said about her. This little cub, who had lost everything, had more confidence in her than the former queen had in herself.
Sarabi smiled happily and went to the ash-brown cub to hug him tightly with her front paw. The lion cub was a little surprised at first and then snuggled his head against the lioness. He could feel a wonderful warmth, it wasn't just her fur or her body. No, it was as if he could also feel the warmth of her heart. Sarafina and Rafiki watched the two with a gentle smile, it was a heartwarming sight for both of them.
"Thank you, Sora. Your words always give me strength, as if you know when I need it. We'll see each other tomorrow, and I hope you don't jump around too wildly. Rafiki shouldn't overexert himself when he's looking after you," said the beige lioness in a caring tone and gently stroked the cub's mane.
"Don't worry, your majesty. Even though I'm a few years old, I'm still as agile as a young antelope," explained the mandrill proudly and did a handstand with only one arm.
Sora and the two lionesses laughed a little, as did Rafiki. After the Mjuzi had both feet on the ground again, the two lionesses left. When they left the cave, they saw that the afternoon was almost over. They had to hurry; luckily, Sarabi was a good hunter.
With heavy steps, Sarabi and Sarafina walked towards Pride rock, carrying the remains of a freshly killed zebra in their mouths. After covering their scent with flowers, both lionesses immediately set out to look for prey. Luckily for them, they were able to find an injured zebra among the herd and quickly finish it off. The poor thing had probably been injured by hyenas and was able to escape thanks to its adrenaline rush, but unfortunately, its wounds were worse. When the two lionesses killed it, it couldn't even gallop away. Since the animal was too big to carry all the way back to King's Rock, the two females ate their fill there and took the meaty parts with them. The vultures were surely happy about the remains because the hyenas didn't even leave anything for the scavengers.
When both lionesses arrived at the rock, the sun had almost completely set. With a look of relief, the other lionesses looked at their two companions, and Nala immediately ran to greet them. The little lion cub immediately ran to her mother and snuggled up to her. Sarafina immediately returned the gesture and hugged her daughter tightly. Two more lionesses came behind Nala, one with a sandy yellow coat that was a little more delicate than Sarabi, but still well-built. Her fur on the back of her neck was a little longer than other lionesses and looked more disheveled. The second was more delicate and had dark orange fur that was longer on her cheeks.
"Subira. you for looking after Nala, were there any problems?" Sarabi asked worriedly.
"Not at all, the little one is smart enough to stay away from hyenas," said the female with the sandy yellow fur respectfully and looked down at the cub.
"But she was very scared, maybe we should take her away from King's Rock for a while. A little variety would definitely do her good," added Furaha, also looking worriedly at Nala.
The former queen sighed, she could imagine how the day had gone for the little lioness. Today, she felt the danger firsthand when Shenzi and the other two males almost discovered Sora. Even now, Sarabi could still feel the shock in her bones, as well as her guilty conscience. As a lioness, she should never have allowed the hyenas to get so close to the lion cub.
"Is Sarafina okay? Somehow she's hugging Nala for a lot longer than usual and looks even happier than usual?" Subira asked quietly, subtly pointing her head in the direction of the little family.
"She's just happy to be with her daughter. We met Shenzi, Banzai and Ed today, and Shenzi tried to provoke Sarafina," Sarabi said in an angry tone.
"What did that stinking carrion eater say?" Furaha growled angrily, but quietly enough so that the others couldn't hear her.
"Did she threaten to hurt Nala?" the other lioness with the dark orange fur asked anxiously, looking worriedly at the little cub.
"No, unlike the other hyenas, she's smart enough to know that she's not allowed to make threats. She only hinted, but the message was more than clear. I don't think Shenzi or any other hyena will hurt her. Not only would they undermine Scar's orders and authority, but they would also make enemies of the lionesses. We should have more lionesses look after Nala to show that she shouldn't come up with stupid ideas. Although I don't think they want Scar and us as enemies." suggested Sarabi, whereupon the other lionesses agreed and decided to tell the others.
Furaha went ahead to the group of lionesses, but Subira paused briefly.
She turned to the former queen and said in a happy tone: "I'm glad you're feeling better, Sarabi. We were all afraid that we would lose you too. Without you, we can't get through this difficult situation, seeing that you have your will to live back gives us all hope again."
The words made Sarabi happy, but at the same time she also felt a little guilty. She had neglected the pack and caused them worry. Of course, neither the other lionesses nor the former queen herself blamed her for mourning her mate and her son. She was happy that she had not lost the trust of her pack.
"If only I could believe in myself like others do.
But I'm afraid, and yet... and yet, I don't want to give up. I want to fight... even harder than ever to protect them all. My home, my pack, my friends and you... Sora," Sarabi thought determinedly and looked in the direction where the cave from the little lion was.
She decided to shake off her feelings of guilt as quickly as possible and look ahead, and her gaze fell on the cave of the Pride Rock. In front of the cave and the path up, there were many hyenas, sleeping or otherwise asleep. The king of the Priede Land was, as always, in his cave and enjoyed the fact that he had everything under control. But Sarabi knew how fragile Scar's control over her was. Although he ruled over her as the rightful king, that did not mean that he was not dependent. He needed the hyenas to enforce his will. At the same time, the lion needed the lionesses to continue the pack and not be betrayed by the hyenas.
"Maybe I can take advantage of Scar's pride to give us some peace," Sarabi thought and decided to leave for today.
Much further away from King's Rock, in the same ravine where the former king of the realm had ended his journey through the eternal circle of life, a new danger was looming. A black hole, in the shape of a vortex, appeared in the middle of the ravine, and a new visitor emerged. In appearance, he resembled a lion with black fur and a dark beige underbelly. The brown mane indicated that he was a male. Most of the upper part of his mane was combed back, except for a few fringes that fell over his forehead. The tip of his tail and also part of his legs were brown, except for his paws, which were beige. He looked more than just overweight, and his belly caused his back to curve downwards. But the strangest thing was his face, he had a short snout and a huge chin that was beige. He also had four square, flat teeth.
"Owe... in this world you can really feel the darkness," said Pete in an amused tone and wanted to look around.
But he slipped awkwardly and fell face-first into the dusty ground. He whimpered a little, whereupon he began to growl angrily and stood up. However, as he was walking back, he tripped over his own hind leg and fell on his buttocks, causing the ground to shake a little.
"I can hardly move in this ridiculous body, how am I supposed to find two children?" growled the fat lion angrily, folding his front paws and tilting his head.
Suddenly, he seemed to have an idea, and he hit the ground hard with his front paw. Immediately, several black figures rose, about the size of a lion cub. They had antennae on their heads and yellow, soulless eyes. They had small arms and legs with claws. They were the same creatures that had once attacked Sora.
"So, you shadows, get going. Find the princess and the guardian of light. And this time... don't destroy this world," said Pete in a threatening tone, whereupon the figures just nodded and sank back into the ground.
The fat lion chuckled mockingly and said in an eerie and cheerful tone: "If there is even a sign of those two here, my Heartless will find them. And this time I will play a completely different game!"