A Difficult Choice

Safari raised his eyes at the huge water buffalo his daughter and his niece had brought in. 

"Good Job." he told them.

Adia's eyes gleamed at the praise from her father. Kaliona smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks." they both said.

"You're welcome." Safari said kindly. "Now let me help you drag this in."

He walked forwards and took hold of the buffalo with his teeth. Together, they tugged the buffalo carcass up to the fresh-kill pile that was already full to bursting. Simba came up.

"A water buffalo?" he asked amazed.

"Adia and Kaliona caught it." Safari said proudly.

"Good." Simba nodded. "You can have it."

"Thank you, King Simba." Adia and Kaliona bowed their heads respectfully.

Simba nodded. They began to take it away and Safari began to follow them when Simba stepped in front of him.

"Safari, may I talk to you?" he asked.

Safari was surprised. He followed Simba to the water-hole.

"Simba," Safari said. "What's wrong?"

"Adia and Kaliona seem to be grown ups now." Simba said. "Are you thinking of getting them mates?"

"You mean, getting them bethrothed?" Safari asked.

Simba nodded.

"No." Safari said. "I'm going to let them follow their hearts. They're not young cubs anymore now. They can make their own decisions."

"Good choice." Simba nodded. "Let's go see Rafiki. I could do with a few herbs, couldn't you?"

"Now that you mention it, I could." Safari said. "c'mon, let's go."

The two lions walked towards the old Baobab tree in which Rafiki lived. They reached the base and pulled themselves up to the lowest branch. Like that, they both finallly reached the interior. Rafiki was mixing herbs in his old turtle shell. He looked up when the king and his friend came in.

"Ah, Simba." Rafiki said, standing up. "What brings you by?"

"Aching muscles again." Simba said.

"Ah, I have a cure." Rafiki replied.

He walked over to the fruits hanging. He plucked a few purple fruits and picked up an empty turtle shell. He crushed the fruits and put them in. He then picked a few yellow fruits and put them in. Rafiki put fruits and leaves in the shell till it formed a mixture that was yellowish-gray in colour.

As Rafiki walked over to Simba and began applying the paste to his left leg, Safari walked over to the trunk where Rafiki drew his drawings. There was a drawing of Simba with a mane, with Nala, a drawing of Kiara and Kopa. Safari tilted his head to look at a picture of a darker lion than Simba.

"Rafiki." he said. "Who's that?"

"Why," Rafiki said looking at the drawing. "That's you."

"That's me?" Safari looked at the lion again.

"Yes it is." Rafiki said. "And that is your father and mother." He pointed to a white lion and a lioness from the pride.

"Those are my parents?" Safari asked.

"Yes, Rafiki very good friends with your parents. Your father was a rogue. He came to the pride and king Mufasa grant him permission to stay." Rafiki said.

"Wish I knew what happened to them." Safari said, staring up at the picture of his parents. 

Safari put up his paw to the picture of his parents, feeling choked. Then he saw a white lion with a reddish-brown mane like his.

"Who's this?" Safari asked Rafiki.

"That is your brother Sergei." Rafiki said.

"I have a brother?" Safari asked, stunned. 

"Yes." Rafiki said. "He was separated from you when the poachers killed your parents. He came to me and I took care of him till he went to live his life as a rogue."

Safari saw a gray lioness beside Sergei.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"That is your sister Nuru." Rafiki said.

"I have two siblings?" Safari asked.

Rafiki nodded.

"Well, why didn't anyone tell me?" Safari asked.

"it was necessary for you three to be separated." Rafiki said. "It is the will of Mufasa."

"They were the only connection I have to Mom and Dad." Safari said, running his paw on his siblings' pictures. "Now they're gone."

"They're not the only connection you know." Rafiki said. "I knew your parents. In fact, I'll tell you about them."

"You will?" Safari asked.

Rafiki nodded. He began to move to a curtain of leaves and vines.

"Come on then." Rafiki said to the two lions. "You follow old Rafiki, he knows the way."

Safari looked at Simba and shrugged. Then the two lions pushed their way through the leaves and vines and found themselves in a room filled with paintings. Rafiki was sitting on a small stump in the middle of the drawings.

"Well?" Rafiki asked.

Simba and safari walked in and sat opposite Rafiki. Rafiki looked to a painting and began telling the story.

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Hisia crouched in the long yellow grass. Her ears flitted to the place where Sarabi and Sarafina were also crouching. The trap was set.

Grazing, just a few jackal-lenghts away from Hisia, were three huge buffalo. The smaller was the lionesses' target. They slowly stalked through the grass, their golden bodies blending with the yelow grass and their bellies brushing the ground. 

Suddenly, Sarabi jumped out and started the chase. When they ran towards Sarafina, she also jumped out and began separating the smaller buffalo from its companions. The other lionesses came to help. Few began to distract the other huge ones. Then, Hisia ran and dug her teeth into its neck.

"Good job." Hisia nodded at all the lionesses. "Let's get it back to King Mufasa."

"And you're a good leader as usual." Sarabi told Hisia.

Hisia hoped she wasn't blushing at the queen's praise.

"It was nothing." she said quickly.

The lionesses put their heads down and dragged the buffalo. On the way, Hisia stopped.

"What's the matter?" Sarafina asked.

"I.....I need some time alone." Hisia said. "You go on without me. I'll catch up."

"Suit yourself." Sarabi shrugged and continued dragged the huge carcass towards the huge rock looming up in the distance.

Hisia began walking towards the water hole. She looked at two antelope nuzzling each other. She then saw a mother wildebeest helping up a baby. Her thoughts strayed to herself having a mate and cubs. She wondered if that would ever be her.

*

NorthStar wandered onto unknown territory. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. All he wanted was some shelter. The white lion shook his mane and began walking towards the shadowy place. It was promising.

NorthStar walked down a slope to a dry and dark place. He looked around. He was so focused on what was in front of him, he didn't notice the puff of steam building up beside him. He jumped as the gyeser launched. When it dissappeared, NorthStar beheld a huge elephant skull. 

He walked up to it. Strange, he thought. But then suddenly, he heard a snarl behind him.

Three hyenas walked up to him. He stood to fight, but he was weakened. He had just walked over a huge distance and couldn't stand for long. But his father had taught him to stand his ground. But his father was dead now. He didn't know what he was going through now. 

Just then, a huge lion leapt over the bones and fought the hyenas away. He then turned to NorthStar.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"NorthStar." NorthStar replied.

"My name is Ahadi." The lion said. "King of the Pridelands."

"Thank you, King Ahadi." NorthStar bowed his head in respect to the black maned lion king.

"You're not from around here." Ahadi observed the white lion. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from very far away." NorthStar replied. "My family is dead. Their death caused me to come to your territory."

"You're beaten," Ahadi observed. "hurt, injured. You need time to heal."

"Thank you for understanding." NorthStar bowed his head.

"You are welcome to stay in the Pridelands for as long as you wish." Ahadi said.

"Thank you." NorthStar said.

"This way to the Pridelands." Ahadi led NorthStar away from the Elephant Graveyard.

They soon came in sight of the huge rock looming up in the distance.

"Pride Rock." Ahadi told NorthStar. 

NorthStar had never seen anything so huge and wonderful. He looked at Ahadi. Ahadi nodded and began to walk towards the rock. NorthStar followed.

*

Hisia walked back home. She saw Sarabi and Sarafina tucking into a carcass from one of their earlier hunts of the day. Mufasa and Scar were also there.

"Hello Hisia." Mufasa said to her.

"Hey Mufasa." she said warmly to him.

"Where have you been?" Sarafina asked her.

"The water-hole." Hisia said simply.

"Have some." Sarabi pushed a bit of the meat towards her.

"Thanks." Hisia began to tuck in.

All through, Mufasa, Sarabi and Sarafina asked her questions. Hisia also noticed that Scar wasn't saying a word throughout the conversation. When Hisia looked at him, he grunted and walked away. Mufasa sighed.

"He's been like this since he

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