Homecoming

[mistwolf]

Kayani was a year old now. She had changed greatly from the young, carefree cub she had once been. Almost full grown now, she had grown lean and lythe, gorgeous, but also serious and perceptive. She had learned much from her time in the Pridelands and the Jungle. But she also never forget the death of her best friend, Shujaa. She wondered if she'd ever find such a lion as he again. Shujaa had been one of a kind. Often, she found herself sitting by the river, talking to him as if he was sitting beside her. In a way, she felt like he was still there. She had seen his star in the sky after he'd died. She talked to that star, and wondered if someday she'd see him again.
But right now, she was not thinking of Shujaa.

It was almost sunrise, and the young lioness slept softly under the shelter of a tall jungle tree. The first threads of sunshine began to filter through the canopy of leaves overhead, and morning found her once again.

Kayani yawned, sharp adult teeth bared, before she closed her mouth and opened her bright blue-green eyes. The young lioness raised her head, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. She wondered breifly, though seriously, what this morning with bring.
Absent mindedly, she glanced over her shoulder to the place where she'd seen Nala and Simba bed down the night before. Tojo, as well, had settled down near the couple. Kayani knew that he hated to leave Nala and Simba alone. He loathed the idea of Simba stealing Nala from him.

But, instead of seeing three lions sleeping peacefully, she saw no one. Three empty spaces, three empty patches of jungle grass. Kayani leapt to her feet. Where were they?

Then, suddenly, she remembered what Nala had been pressing Simba to do: return to PrideRock and take his place as king. Did he? Had Simba...?

"Sarabi!" Kayani called, running to the sleeping matriarch and once-queen of the Pridelands. "Sarabi, wake up! Nala, Simba, and Tojo are gone! I've think they've gone back to the Pridelands!"

[- lauren]

Sarabi had gotten older over her time in the jungle. She didn't feel old, but anyone could look at her and see that she'd lost a little weight and her eyes were a little dull. Despite all that, Sarabi had a new energy that came with living for a purpose. She had to encourage Simba to be king. No matter how long it took for him to realize it, Sarabi would be there for her son. The sun showered rays through the leaves of the trees around the former queen, and she took in a deep breath, fighting for a few more minutes of sleep. Suddenly Kayani's voice pierced the quiet and Sarabi opened one eye. Kayani urged her to wake up and Sarabi stretched as she listened to the younger adult lioness. Wait...

Nala, Simba and Tojo had left...to the pridelands? That was Kayani's guess...but could it be true? Could her son have finally decided to be the king he was destined to be? Sarabi stood up and smiled at Kayani. "Oh Kayani...this is wonderful! Oh, I hope it's true!" She looked around the jungle and then closed her eyes, trying to picture the three of them running for the pridelands together; though it wasn't quite like that in reality. "Finally..." she whispered. She looked back at Kayani. "We should go too." She couldn't very well leave Simba to do this on his own, now could she? Sarabi's motherly instincts kicked in.

[mistwolf]

Sarabi's excitement was a shock to Kayani. Though the young lioness was pleased that the true king of the Pridelands was returning (though, in her experience, she had never known that Scar's wasn't the true king, but apperently he wasn't) she was worried about what might take place. Sarabi was perfectly right: they had to follow the three lions back home. But for Kayani, it was a totally different reason than that she wanted to witness a victory. It was that she wanted to try to prevent a catastrophe.

She hadn't raised herself to be unobservant. She had seen the change in Tojo, and it concerned her. It had begun the minute Nala had seen Simba again for the first time, and it had continued from there, when the two had begun to fall in love, leaving Tojo behind. Tojo's whole attitude changed, little by little. A slow fade. And what he had become scared Kayani. Something was coming, she just couldn't put a paw on it.

"Yes, we should return," she agreed, her tone more serious, and a bit worried. She looked back at Sarabi, inviting the old queen to accompany her back home. It was time to return.