SIMBA'S PRIDE: WE ARE ONE

The Future Queen

7 year old Katie awoke in the den to the sound of stillness, and the bugs and frogs chirping in the middle of the night. King Simba and Queen Nala were both asleep, their world torn apart by what had transpired earlier on in the day. She fiddled with her dark hair tied into pigtail braids.

Their only heir and son, the future King of the Pridelands, was no more. Kopa had been killed by the forbidden Pride in revenge for exiling them not long after she and Simba claimed their rightful places. Simba had said it with such gravity and grief that she had collapsed in utter shock. She had cried and blamed herself for not sensing the danger beforehand, but Simba had told her that this was on his own shoulders. Taka had agreed with Simba and advised her not to worry, and to let the Great Kings of the Past handle the loss.

No more would Katie hold the little pure hearted cub who looked like Simba but with Nala's eyes in her arms in the same way that she did with Simba long ago. She would never see Kopa grow up to be like his father and reign alongside him until she had a son or daughter to pass her Scepter on to.

She fiddled with her necklace which held her Scepter as she wandered to her personal Sorcery Den to think and meditate whenever she had something on her mind.

"Can't sleep?"

Katie turned to the soft, masculine and gentle voice of her father, dressed for sleep, his thin frame silhouetted by his blankets. His green eyes, much like hers held concern, compassion and love. His long dark hair was in a low ponytail for sleep.

"I can't help but think about what we all could have done better to protect him. He was so pure, Daddy...I'm gonna miss him so much." Katie sniffled as tears ran down her pale cheeks.

Joshua just knelt down and hugged his youngest, murmuring sweet comforts in her ear. Suddenly, her powers took root in a vision...

Katie found herself in the Pridelands at sunset, and in front of her was Simba and a cub that looked like Nala, but with Simba's eyes. She was talking to Simba about not being queen...

Not being Queen? Katie had to wonder what the vision meant before it vanished.

Katie gasped as she came to from the vision, realizing what it meant. Perhaps maybe all was not lost, and that Simba and Nala would have another heir? Only time would tell.

"What is it?" Joshua asked in curiosity.

"Simba and Nala will have another cub. I've seen it in a vision. The cub's going to be a girl." Katie said.

"Well, let's see what Simba and Nala say about this. But not tonight; it's still late." Joshua instructed, knowing the powers and responsibilities of being a Sorcerer. After all, he was in Katie's position when Mufasa was first crowned King, and again when Taka, who was then Scar had wrongfully took over after murdering Mufasa and framing Simba for the crime. He gently ruffled her hair before he drank water and then turned in.

But sure enough, quite a few months later, Katie's vision had come true. At first, Simba was skeptical about the second born heir being a girl, but he had learned to never underestimate his Sorceress' power and wisdom. Nala on the other hand welcomed it immediately and was overjoyed when the newborn cub came out and was a girl. Simba was joyful as well when it came true, and had promised to never let anything happen to his little daughter Kiara. Kopa's death had toughened him and since then, he was determined to make sure that Kiara would never meet her late brother's fate.

Kiara's presentation came at last, and she, Simba, Nala and her family and friends all felt Mufasa's presence with them as Rafiki held her high for all the animals to see. Somehow, Katie could see that Kopa was looking down and smiling as well as she held little Kiara in her arms while Simba and Nala nuzzled them both.

"Look at the little guy—a chip off the old block, and ya gotta know who's gonna raise him?" Timon fawned.

"His parents?" Pumbaa answered matter of factly.

"Okay, sure—get technical, but who's gonna teach him the really important stuff, like how to belch..." Timon belched loud. "And dig for grubs?"

Joshua stared at Timon, shaking his head in a good natured way. He had met the meerkat and Pumbaa when he was recovering from dying of starvation, sickness and his heart defect after Taka had stepped down, and had gotten used to their "Hakuna Matata" carefree personas.

"I'm tellin' ya buddy—it's gonna be like old times! You, me, Katie and the little guy!" Timon giddily said.

"You guys really think this cub is a boy?" Lizzie chortled. Katie held back her laughter, failing miserably.

"It is a girl!" Rafiki chuckled along with the Sorceress and her decoy.

"Girl!" Timon corrected himself. And then...

"GIRL?!! Oy!" Timon and Pumbaa both collapsed in what seemed to be dread.