This character is part of my separate, alternate universe.

Mito: ‘Rivers’ [Swahili]
[MEE-toe]

Generation: 4th [Mufasa’s]
Pride Affiliation: Northern Pridelands

Relations:
 - Son of Mnafiki and Nyoni
 - Brother of Sarafina
 - Uncle of Nala, Nadra, Mheetu
 - Mate to Yinqaba
 - Father of Tama

Personality: Mito is rather a hard character to unravel, as for most of the time, his expression is unresponsive and rarely does it change regarding a situation. It is his upbringing that moulded him into this callous outer shell; a whole life of coldness from his father and near-ignorance from his mother gave him the stoic independence that brought with it nonchalance. Behind his frosty exterior, though, is the will to live freely, and to love freely, and once he latches onto something he knows he can love – for example, his mate Yinqaba – he will shower upon them affection, the stark opposite of his parents’ actions toward him. From his father, though, he inherited the negative attitude to being inferior to anyone, and so he harbours a fierce resentment towards the Ndona royal family, a resentment which will ultimately be his downfall.

Biography:

To say that Mito was born in a time of strife is an understatement.

            The Northern Pridelands were torn apart by a rebellion led by its king, Mnafiki, and several other monarchs who all served under their High King, Ahadi. Many lions and lionesses alike died in the struggles, though the rebelling kings refused to abate in their uprising. They’d simply had enough of being ruled by a young, inexperienced male who presumed to hold claim over their lands. Though the north was directly involved, King Mnafiki feigned ignorance, and pretended that he had nothing to do with the rebels who so adamantly fought for their home. For a time, High King Ahadi believed him, but Mnafiki was always suspected of being a rebel despite his false claims.

            Though Mnafiki could be cruel, and his methods in trying to regain independence were harsh, he did love his mate, Nyoni, very dearly. Nyoni was the granddaughter of the King of the West, and though her homeland was not part of the uprising, she gave it her all to aid the cause, until, of course, she fell pregnant with her first litter. She still fought for a time, and perhaps it was the stress of combat that caused her to lose four of the five cubs she birthed. The only survivor of the litter was pale little Mito, whom many believed would die in his first week. To their surprise, and the joy of his mother, Mito pulled through, and was named Crown Prince of the North.

            For most of his infancy, Mito rarely saw his father, who was leading campaigns with his lionesses and remaining hidden from Ahadi’s scouts and spies. Whilst the cub was still incredibly young – still in his spots – Nyoni became pregnant again, and this brought Mnafiki to gravitate more towards his home, and spend more and more time with his mate. However, this was a grievous error for him to make, as he was soon uncovered by the spies, and when Ahadi called a council of the six vassal kings together, he was presented before his peers as a traitor to the higher crown. Before Mnafiki left, he remained at Nyoni’s side whilst she birthed a daughter, their Princess Sarafina.

            Luckily, the rebel kings were not killed, but King Ahadi demanded a tribute of all of them. Of Mnafiki, he demanded the daughter, and gave him little choice in the matter. It was Sarafina, or the lives of Nyoni and Mito. Mnafiki was troubled by the decision, though it was clear which option he favoured. Mito barely had time to say ‘hello’ to her before Ahadi’s lionesses spirited her from the birthing den. Lonely and afraid, Mito began to question the morality of his father’s actions, but had little chance to bring voice to them. Upon Mnafiki’s return, the thwarted king only spent time with his son to educate him, and when Nyoni nursed him, her words were bitter and strained. Both parents were hurt at the loss of their daughter, and Mito even more so, for he felt abandoned by the king and queen, and could find no solace in aught else.

            Growing up, Mito developed an aloofness much like that of his father. He had many friends, and enjoyed the company of others, but it was rare that anyone could get him to smile. The crown prince was suffering significantly at his abandonment, though it was one dear friend to him that would ease his burdens a great deal; Yinqaba. Yin’ was a great benefit to the prince, for she would persevere and remain at his side when all others had given up. Though Mito often told her to go away, she stayed, and pestered him until finally he relented. Their time together only increased as they aged, and though the prince was reluctant to say so, he found himself falling in love with her. King Mnafiki was hesitant to agree to his son’s demand at betrothal, but with Nyoni’s persuasion, he allowed his mandrill shaman to anoint them both in the sacred oils that sealed them both into a promise at future union.

            Soon after, King Mnafiki passed away in his sleep during the night. Mito, who was in the period of late adolescence, was deeply troubled by his father’s death, as it meant that he, the only heir to the throne, must assume his rank and responsibility. Not only that, but rumours were spreading around the kingdom that Mnafiki had been poisoned, and it was up to Mito to investigate these claims, with the help of the mandrill shaman. A few days before his coronation was due, they discovered that the old king had indeed been poisoned, though by whom, no one could be certain. Mito had his suspects, as did the others, but he couldn’t act upon suspicion, and so the case was laid to rest with his father.

            Shortly after the coronation – and marriage – of King Mito and Queen Yinqaba, a missive was sent out to the new monarchs to bring themselves or their representatives to the Ndona Pridelands to witness the presentation of their new crown prince, Simba. Seeing no reason to decline, Mito journeyed to the lands of his high king, and there, received a surprise that he could not have anticipated.

            He finally saw his little sister at last.

            Their reunion was one of great happiness, and Mito was overjoyed to learn that his sister had found happiness in her foster home. Most surprising, but warming, was the swell of her belly, and the glow in her eyes when she told her brother that she was with child. The northern king was delighted for her, and in the following weeks during which the monarchs were permitted to stay in the Pridelands, they spent a lot of time together catching up on their lost years. During this time, Yinqaba too fell pregnant, though she kept this a secret from her mate, meaning to surprise him.

            A week or so before Mito and Yin’ were due to leave, Mito found himself wandering a little too far from Pride Rock, and, lost, stumbled into the Shadowlands, the fabled Elephant Graveyard and home of the Ndona hyena clan. Though he planned to flee from the eerie place as soon as possible, the lure of voices in the distance was too much to ignore. Following the sounds, he stumbled upon Prince Taka – nicknamed ‘Scar’ – in deep conversation with a group of hyenas. This alone was enough cause for suspicion, though the occurrence that bothered him the most was the uttering of the words, ‘Kill the child. Kill the prince for your throne.’

            Stunned, Mito lost control of himself and knocked an article of debris by his paw. The speakers were alerted to his presence, the prince and the hyenas set upon him instantly, and though Mito fought valiantly, he suffered a grisly wound to his left eye in the process. Before he could be killed, he yielded, and Prince Taka struck with him a deal. Let himself be taken by Taka and the hyenas to King Mufasa, and they wouldn’t hunt down and kill his family. Mito agreed, unsure of what would happen when they arrived before the king. Anything he could have been expecting, though, was a far fling from what truly happened.

            When Taka had gained Mufasa’s audience, the prince explained rather convincingly that Mito himself had been trying to amass followers amongst the hyenas to murder Prince Simba. Mufasa, knowing that Mito’s father had also been a rebel, was already prejudiced against Mito’s case, and with the lies fed to him by Taka, arrested the northern king and had him placed under guard, awaiting execution. Queen Yinqaba, now a dowager, was sent back to the north to rule on her own, presumably a widow, and upon her arrival she gave birth to a single daughter, Princess Tama.

            Though Mito was destined for execution for his ‘treason’, the former king – for he had been stripped of his ranks and titles – escaped his prison and managed to flee his pursuers. For a short time, he turned to living as a rogue in the Ndona Pridelands, His maimed eye ailed him, however, and his wounds received by the hyenas were enough to slow him, and he soon fell too weak to continue. He managed to drag himself to the border of the Northern Pridelands, where he was rescued by his former subjects, but upon regaining consciousness, he was hit with the hardest news of all.

            Queen Yinqaba was dead, and following her passing, lionesses from the Pridelands had come to requisition Princess Tama and raise her away from the ‘traitorous influence of the northern scum’.

            Mito stewed in his homeland for a long, long time, and proclaimed himself king once more. The lionesses followed him willingly, without doubt, for they still harboured animosity towards the Ndona pride from their long-ago campaigns. Mito waited, and waited still for the right time to strike, when he knew his lionesses would be strong, and marched his strongest fighters to the border in order to reclaim their princess.

            They would do no such thing.

            As soon as they set paw over the border, they were set upon by a raging horde of hyenas. The lionesses were slaughtered before they could cry out. Mito lived long enough to drag himself to the pride’s home, Pride Rock, where the king was waiting for him. Not Mufasa, of course. King Scar. The usurper killed Mito himself before his lionesses, before a wailing Sarafina, who had grieved years ago for the brother she thought dead. Now he truly was gone, and his people with him.

            Tama, of course, had been playing with her friends at the water hole. She would never know in her life that her father had fought for her, had died for her. Why, she’d never even seen his face, and now, never would.

Bases © Dracarys