Name: Amani

Meaning: Peace

Age: Varies

Gender: Female

Pride: Chimalsi and Nabii’s Pride (Pridelands)

Mother: Wema

Father: Kabili

Siblings: None

Mate: Bakari

Cubs: Taji

Friends: Busara, Moyo, Bakari, Halima, Sakina, Jabari, Zuberi (cub only)

Enemies: Zuberi (adult only)

Likes: Looking after her family, keeping the peace and her mate.

Dislikes: Being treated badly, being forced to do something, being separated from her mate.

Dreams: A peace over all the Pridelands.

Fears: War and fighting.

Pelt: Light brown

Eyes: Sea green

Mane/tail: Dark brown

Distinguishing Features: Scruffy muzzle, nose gradient, ear rims that are slightly folded inwards and small elbow tufts.

Personality: Kind, caring, thoughtful and always knows what the right thing is to do.

Relation to the Lion King: Kovu, Kiara, Vitani and Kopa’s granddaughter.

Amani was born to Wema and Kabili at the same time as Nabii and Chimalsi gave birth to their sons, Bakari, Zuberi and Jabari. Kopa and Kiara both got to see their grandchildren for a little while before they both passed away.

About a year later, all the cubs were the best of friends. Amani, Halima and Sakina would often play around and gossip for hours, only meeting up with the boys when they went to the story cave with Kabili.

One day, when all the cubs were together, Sakina brought up the topic of Kings.

“So, which one of you is going to be King?” She asked the male cubs.

“I am .” They all answered at the same time, then looked at each other questioningly.

“I thought I would be King because I was born first.” Answered Zuberi.

“I thought I would be King because I’m the strongest.” Answered Jabari.

Bakari didn’t answer at all. He just shook his head as his eyes filled with tears. He had no claim to the throne that he could think of. Amani saw that Bakari was upset so went over and nuzzled him, giving him no verbal support.

“Hang on Sakina! Who says it had to be one of them! If they die, the throne goes to the girls!” Shouted Halima.

Then everyone started talking at once, the girls arguing with the boys and the boys arguing with each other. Amani saw that they were distracted and she and Bakari crept away. They didn’t stop walking until they had reached the story cave, where they sat down together.

“Bakari, are you ever scared of the future?” Amani asked.

He nodded and stared around the cave.

“I’ve heard my mother and father talking about a prophecy. It sounds scary.”

Amani put her paw on his and squeezed.

“My father was scared once. He was really ill in this cave once and that’s why he painted pictures, to make himself feel better. He was scared because he thought he might die, but he was also looking forward to the future.”

She pointed to a faded picture of a family of lions.

“This is meant to be my family. My father drew it when he was a young adult, dreaming of the future he might have with my mother. He didn’t seem scared, so why am I?”

“We’re all scared, Amani. The only thing that will help to get us through is the support of others. I will be here for you, just as I know you will be here for me.”

The two cubs didn’t speak for the rest of the afternoon. They just sat there, staring at the drawings and wishing they both had the bravery of Kabili.

When they returned, Amani saw that the cubs had been fighting and that Zuberi was bleeding. She ran over to him and started licking his wound.

When Chimalsi arrived, he was furious, but thanked Amani for caring for his son, saying she would make a great mother one day.

A couple of years later, Amani felt for the first time how death can affect her after Sakina died. What hurt the most was that she was killed by her sister, Halima after they fought over Jabari, and that fact that both of them had fled.

It was also the fact that she had now got, and lost, a mate. Bakari had grown a lot and his mane was beginning to form, but a few days after they had promised to remain mates forever, Bakari was killed by leopards. She had found out from Zuberi, who took her to his body only to find only scratch marks and a trail of blood, but no body. The leopards had carried him off.

About a year later, the Pride had only just recovered from the loss of four of the cubs. Amani spent most of the time with her parents and away from Zuberi, who followed Chimalsi around, learning to be King.

Suddenly, the peace and tranquillity ended. Kabili managed to catch another illness which was no match for his already weakened immune system and perished. Unfortunately, this disease was caught by the rest of the Pride and the eldest and weakest also perished. Very soon, only Chimalsi, Wema, Amani, Zuberi, Busara and a few other lionesses were left in Pride Rock. The laughter never came and any happiness the place once had was washed away by the tears of the survivors.

A few days later, Amani was bringing back an antelope for the Pride when she saw Chimalsi fall from the top of Pride Rock. She screamed and ran for his body. He was dead, but she scented Zuberi on his fur and saw a few claw marks on his back.

“Zuberi!” she roared.

Zuberi ran down to meet her, teeth bared, but Wema intercepted.

“Don’t you dare go near my daughter, you murderer.” She whispered, whilst preparing for an attack.

Zuberi leapt at Wema and they began to fight. Wema hadn’t improved much since the day she got attacked by hyenas and soon, Zuberi overpowered her, but not before she managed to add several scars to the one that was caused all those years ago.

“Mother!” Amani cried as she saw her take her final breath, exhausted on the grass.

Zuberi walked purposely towards Amani.

“Join me.”

“NEVER!”

Zuberi roared and Amani ran into Pride Rock. She knew Zuberi was unstable and ready to attack at any moment. She warned the lionesses and Busara to run and get out before anything could happen to them. Busara agreed to protect the lionesses and they left. When Zuberi arrived, panting and drooling, Amani went over to him and smacked his face, which just made him angrier. He grabbed her back with his claws and told her that she had to be his. Crying in pain, Amani agreed, knowing that the goodness inside her heart might change the blackness inside of his.

Amani led a lonely life in Pride Rock, trying to calm the unstable beast inside Zuberi and making him safe for others to join their Pride, not that she could call it a Pride with only two lions. She longed for her old life or the life that might’ve been if she had stopped the fighting between the cubs. Now her true mate was dead and Zuberi was her last hope. If she could change him, maybe her life would change too.

One day, whilst Amani was banished to the cave, she heard the return of Jabari and Halima. She was so pleased! Perhaps they could free her from Zuberi! It also sounded like they had a family.

Zuberi sounded pleased to see his brother, but Amani noticed the cold, cruel glint in his eyes. She begged with him not to attack, but let her talk with them. He shoved her back into the cave and went about meeting with his brother for the final time.

Amani could hear them fighting and it took all her self-control not to join the fray. Then there was silence. Amani knew something bad had just happened. She ran to the scene with Halima close behind and cried over the sight they saw. Once they cleared the bodies, giving them both a proper burial, Amani took Halima inside Pride Rock.

She could tell something had changed in Halima since she’d last seen her. She seemed tired and old as if Jabari was the thing keeping her young.

“Amani, take care of my cub.” She whispered with her eyes closed.

“I will, what’s her name?”

“Radhi.”

Without another word, Halima ran out of the cave and into the grasslands. Amani jumped up and ran after her, only to be called by Radhi. Amani cried softly for her friend, knowing Halima needed to be alone after the death of Jabari. Amani just hoped Halima would find another male lion to give her life purpose.

As Amani turned back to the den, she found the entrance blocked. Through the tears, the figure looked blurry and she thought it was just a figment of her imagination.

“Amani?”

She recognised that voice and his figure. She tried to blink back the tears in order to see clearer, but more filled their place.

“Bakari…”

He ran towards her and caught her as she fainted.

When Amani awoke she found Bakari with her and the little cub Radhi. That meant, it wasn’t a dream. He was real!

“Bakari, how did you survive?”

Bakari sighed and looked into the eyes of his mate as he began his story.

It was a beautiful tale and Amani was so grateful that he and Busara had managed to survive, even if the rest of the Pride perished.

A couple of months later, Amani sat with Bakari on the tip of Pride Rock with Radhi and Busara just behind. A cub sat in between Amani and Bakari’s paws, their son, Taji.

Taji walked up to the tip of Pride Rock and roared, a tiny, childish roar, but that roar was filled with hope and happiness.

At once, the grey clouds began to clear and the Great Kings and Queens looked down on the new family. Amani felt a heaviness lift from her fur and roared. The prophecy had lifted, taking the curse from them. Bakari felt it too and joined Amani and Taji in their roar.

The new family looked up into the sky at the Great Kings and Queens, but also the non – royal members of their family. They could see Jabari and Zuberi with Halima and Sakina, Chimalsi, Nabii, Kabili, Wema, Dafina, Ajali and Siri, Nuka, Vitani, Kopa, Kiara and Kovu, Simba and Nala, Scar, Zira, Mufasa, Sarabi and Sarafina, Uru and Ahadi, Mohatu and Sauda, and thousands more they didn’t recognise from Kabili’s story cave. Together, they roared feeling the Circle of Life complete.

Credits:

Bases - me

Design - Sparrow Feather

Notes:

Lots of Amani's story is taken from my fanfiction Kiburi Baadaye.