The Lion King Sarabi's Story

Chapter Three

Taka leapt over puddle in frustration, he wasn't entirely sure what had annoyed him, maybe it was the fact that Sarabi kept going to see Mufasa while he was all alone, but it could have been because Sala had not kept visiting. He didn't even know who she was exactly, he only knew her name and that he liked her. The previous evening Taka had heard cries of anguish in the distance, he just wanted to be alone. So there he was, wandering alone in a random land, unknown to him. He could not even eat meat yet so he realised he had no chance without his mother. He was only four months old. After hours of ranting to himself he finally realised he was hungry and began to turn homeward...but which way was that?

Night closed in on him, but a bright star appeared in the sky, "Taka, I am Malkia, previously Queen of Pride Rock but also your grandmother." A dark bluish, translucent and noble lioness was standing before the tiny cub.

"Wait...I thought you were dead?"

"I am, but you are a part of me, as is Mufasa and your mother. I live in you. I will always be there to guide you. Follow me."

"Em, well, ok then!"

The cub let Malkia guide him through the Outlands, back into the Pridelands and home. She left him at the entrance to the cave, "Remember me Taka, I will always be here, just look upwards..." And with that the starry lioness faded away and retook her place in the night sky. Taka crept into the Pride Rock and found his way back to his family in the private cave. There he lay down beside his sleeping mother, knowing not of the nightmares she was enduring. Seeing Mufasa, a beam of light from a bright star shining on him, Taka walked over. He saw the tears of the previous hours had stained the golden fur under his brother's eyes. Taka had missed him; he lay down next to Mufasa and flopped his terracotta tail over him.

Dawn broke next morning and Mufasa opened his eyes, beside him he felt his mother's soft body however there was an additional warmth on the other side of him, almost like Taka was back. It was too small to be his father, as a treat the boys were sometimes allowed to cuddle up in between their parents. In fact, it was a little smaller than himself. He was confused, was it Sarabi? No, Sarabi was a little more ample than this. It really did feel like Taka... Right at that moment a thin terracotta tail with a jet black tuft on the end of it flopped over Mufasa's head, into his view. "Hi!" He heard Taka shout, he was over joyed!

"Hey! You scared me Taka!"

"But you are never scared?"

"Well... I was when you wouldn't come home..." Taka laughed before clambering over Uru and tugging on his father's ear. "Mufasa, I understand you miss your brother but would you please leave my poor ears alone?" Ahadi opened his eyes, "Taka!" He exclaimed, "Uru!" He nudged his wife and she wearily opened her eyes, she did not want another day of waiting for her beloved son to come home. Then she felt something clambering about on her front paws. "It....it can't be..."

"It can!"

"Taka! Son! Thank goodness you are ok! Never do that to me again, ok Taka?"

"Yes Mom..."

It appeared that Taka did not quite understand the utter seriousness of his adventure. That morning his parents sat together, they talked for hours while their sons played, within their view this time. Would Taka always be slightly sullen? If so, why? Were they doing something wrong? Was he jealous of Mufasa? Unsurprisingly, he had talked about Sala; this gave Uru an idea, the pride did not usually practice arranged marriages but this was an exception. Later that day she went to find Abla after explaining her plan to Ahadi. At the cave door sat Chimalsi, watching his daughters teach Tata to walk without falling over. They were failing, admittedly, but their sheer determination to succeed was what captivated him, he had sat there for hours. Abla was not entirely healthy today so she lay sleeping in the cave. They were rather young parents and he sometimes wondered if they had gone too far with their relationship too quickly, they couldn't have helped it though, they were young and innocent of the dangers these thing could entail. Abla was about to be forced to marry a young lion whom she did not love, she had always loved Chimalsi, he had the same overpowering feelings for her. Together they had worked out that the only way to extricate Abla from the marriage was to put shame on the pride, the only way to do this was to get her pregnant. This did happen quite quickly and, of course, the male supposed to marry her knew he had not been with her on any night. It was not his cub. Abla went through the pregnancy at the age of two and a half years, she was only a young teenager, she was not really ready for this kind of stress but she trusted the father of the cub she carried and did not fret. The day she gave birth was not a happy one, for many reasons however her parents stood outside the cave, ashamed at their daughter's betrayal. After hours of struggling, nothing happened. Then, after two days, a cub was born. It had not survived the struggle and lay at Abla's feet lifeless. She felt she had failed, she had not only disappointed herself but Chimalsi too. He put no pressure on her when she was finally allowed to leave the cave to go and find him. She had been gravely ill and unable to move. Abla had grieved and Chimalsi was not allowed near her or her pride, he had now been exiled from his own. As soon as Abla was able to move again, she was banished. It was then that she told him the news and cried into his mane, they had been too young for a good outcome. Then they had found the Pridelands, they tried again and again for cubs but with no success, then their five daughters were born.