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The monkey who tended to lions in ways that Rafiki could not do late at night. More so part of a shift that he referred to as night shift. A lion that had a scar was brought in by a ratty eared lion only hours ago had returned. Not bothering to stay away after being given some medicine to help the headache go away.
He strolled through the area hearing the sound of crying. A lion waiting for a spot to be resting in a area most often referred to as a kind area for recovery far from hyenas or nosy lions. A perfect small pond nearby. He saw Mufasa standing by his side alongside Sarabi looking over beneath the moonlight.
"Has he had any prior illness?"
Sarabi and Mufasa jaws hung open then exchanged a glance and faced one another.
"Skin cancer." Sarabi answered.
The monkey ran away from them.
"Doron! DORON! DORON!"
The elephant stirred awake turning toward him.
"Maculf, what is the matter?" Doron asked, exasperated.
"A royal member of Simba's family is deathly ill! He needs transfer!"
Doron lifted his head up mouth hanging open as his small eyes flashed open and raised his trunk up.
"Sounds like a case for the Thunderbird." Maculf lifted his trunk then gave it a wave.
Doron leaped up onto the head of the elephant grabbing his ears and lifting them up.
"They are extinct!" Doron exclaimed
"This is a very special occasion." Maculf talked back using his trunk as a puppet while looking up toward the monkey. "If the lion requires immediate attention by multiple professionals on his—"
"Head." Doron supplied
"Then hitching a ride on a a elephant isn't a good idea!" He jabbed the trunk against the monkey's chest, glaring at the doctor. "Falling and hitting their head!"
"That has never happened in your time helping me!" Doron exclaimed.
"Simba will have me slain if royal blood never makes it to qualified professionals!"
"Royalty is not like that." Doron snapped.
"I know a gal who can help." Maculf changed the subject.
"Thunderbirds aren't around anymore!" Doron continued.
"Leave it to me to get him taken care of!" He lifted the distraught monkey off his back and rested him in the tall blades of grass. "It is a 2 hour walk to you know where!'
Doron sped away heading to the nearest late night messenger. Shaking the African Parrot awake then setting him back down. Doron quickly explains what needed to be said so the others could properly prepare for it. It was grave news. News of a cancer that had spread into his brain and possibly elsewhere. He watched the parrot fly way into the distance.
The monkey slowly turned away. His steps walking on slow quite upside him. His lips quivering rubbing his shoulders feeling tears. There was no stopping Death. Death was coming for royalty. It was so aggressive attacking him. He made his way after the sorry scene knowing what was to come. The emotional pain and heartache that the pride were due to go through.
Quietly returning to the very small crowd approaching the golden lion with the red mane and the duller lioness by his side.
"He is going to be transported shortly to a place that has more spots and adequate staff." His arms were folded, upset. "I'm so sorry."
"It is fine." Mufasa said
"If I had been told earlier.." Maculf trailed off.
Sarabi walked forward as her face fell and her ears lowered.
"What... what do you mean?" Sarabi asked, slightly lowering her head.
Mufasa's tiny eyes darted back and forth at the bread crumbs being dropped.
"His mate didn't bring it up." Mufasa's face fell at the revelation. "That is pretty important information. I could have benefited from this as.." he looked over recognizing the great prince known as Taka that had a scar. "He wouldn't be in .. this ... much..... pain."
"We have only gotten updates yesterday and today through her bird. She should be on top of this."
"She was on it." Mufasa said
Sarabi looked over facing the monkey.
"She said it was 3 lesions on his brain." Sarabi said
"The amount of pain he is in says adamantly otherwise." Maculf replied
Taka cried as the monkey felt down and handed over stronger medication into his mouth. The prince swallowed the medication. His paws around his head went slack then he smiled, relaxing. A breath of relief seated there on the dirt surrounded by beautiful scenery. Mufasa lowered his head.
"Where is Zira?" Mufasa asked.
There was anger hidden beneath his calm voice lowering his head as a great bird flapped descending down extending large talons.
'"She went home to take care of the cubs." Zazu answered.
And Mufasa didn't need to be told that the cancer had climbed into his brother's head.
Materialized into.. a sentence that was a death sentence itself
"Return to pride rock and give them the news."
Sarabi was there alongside Mufasa's side.
The next hours and days that flourished.
Everything was a blur that her mind couldn't possibly be keeping track of.
Ice packs on his forehead being replaced consistently. Groaning in pain indicating a change needed to be done in the dose. Taka being dragged away by baboons for a emergency operation, hands covered in white gloves, ready to tear his head open, taking along key ingredients to numb him and sedate him. Urgent and dire.
"I love yoouuuuu!"
Mufasa wept afterwards while embracing Sarabi.
Taka's eyes opened facing his brother who looked concerned gazing down upon him. Greenery surrounding him with a blue sky overhead. Sarabi by his side looking like she hadnt slept in awhile neither of them looked like they had a good night's sleep. He saw them crystal clear. Bright and vibrant colors full of family love dotting on to him.
"How is Simba, Mufasa?"
"He is okay, Scar."
Taka lifted his head, concerned.
"Kiara?"
"She is okay."
Taka lowered his head, smiling, relieved.
"Good.. good.." Taka said
Taka rested there as if it had taken a lot of effort to ask then Mufasa laid down alongside his brother resting his head on his neck. Looking down upon his little brother. The first question that he asked about his son and his granddaughter. Not a question about Kovu. Or Vitani. Or Nuka. Or about Zira.
Sarabi set herself down alongside Taka.
"I love you, Taka." Mufasa said it for maybe the 5th time that day.
Mufasa rested his eyes and snooze away. A far precious moment. There weren't that many left.
Several weeks later, the great abdicated king watched the messenger land. Panting and heaving. Mufasa was simply waiting. Tuning out everything. Waiting for his brother to show up. His familiar figure strolling through. Black mane. Brown fur. Green eyes. The familiar scar given during their youth by a buffalo.
"Taka and Zira have broken up." Zazu announced.
Mufasa relaxed lowering his head.
"So he is coming home." Mufasa said, relieved.
"He isn't coming without Kovu." Zazu informed.
"Kovu...." Mufasa's face softened into pity.
"He wants to be part of his life." Zazu gestured a wing out toward the sky turning away. "He wants to help." The bird hopped around, frowning. "But.."
"But what, Zazu?" Mufasa asked.
"More like they are taking care of the cub and him. Never mind the fat red pet feline that sleeps on his face every night."
Mufasa broke up in laughter.
"That isn't a joke." Zazu replied.
Mufasa kept on laughing lowering his head and fell over kicking his paws in the air. Cackling then resting on his side and falling right over again once looking over facing the bird. The great abdicated king resumed laughing for several minutes.
"What is his name?" Mufasa asked.
"I didn't—"
"Sounds like a boy."
"Yaspa."
Mufasa stood up to his four paws and smiled.
"After a gemstone." Mufasa said, warmly, fondly, chuckling.
It was quiet on the pride lands.
The heavy matter in the air when it came to the news.
Not much problems were going on in the pride lands. No rogue lions coming in. Bright and full of green. As if the entire pride lands had decided to settle their arguments among themselves giving pride rock a reprieve. A lot of space given the suffering they were going through waiting for Scar to come home along with his cubs and his mate.
"Where is Scar?" One of the hyenas, the leader, the female, asked. "I haven't heard from him."
Simba opened his mouth then closed it lowering his head. His father was afar resting from the painful reminders of his upcoming loss.
"He doesn't live here anymore." Simba replied.
"But you know where he is." Banzai stepped forward.
"We..." Simba spoke turning his head away. "We don't go there."
Kiara and Kopa and Kion were parked alongside their grandmother. Baby little ones who were never going to be allowed to know their uncle first hand. Resting fast asleep
"Neither of you have!" Shenzi shot back.
"You haven't heard the rumors." Nala said
"Scar had always been the most unhealthy lion!" Banzai retorted stepping forward hearing his teeth and lowered his head. "We grew up together! Grew up as our little rejected pride."
The words were mean and sharp
"Tell us before we use our teeth!" Shenzi snapped.
Mufasa stood up to his feet facing the lionesses and hyenas in position.
"You are his friends," Mufasa spoke from afar emerging out of the cavern. "Are you not?"
"Never has been under any doubt." Shenzi said
"He is the only one who has been nice to us." Banzai said.
"You get first pick." Mufasa announced to the hyenas. "And what is left of him that cannot be finished will be brought back to join the great circle of life."
Ed wasn't laughing or cackling then or saying anything as the growling came to a sudden halt. Their heads lifted facing Mufasa who was great and old and still fearsome at his impressive age exceeding Simba. The hyenas stepped back as Shenzi's head bobbed up. Banzai's pupils shrunk, having a hard gulp, feeling sick, yet really sad. The news turning the mood inside out from anger to being upset.
"It isn't much but.." Mufasa said looking down and up "It is what he wants." He had contempt for the decision that was bitter and rich. "And it is fair."
"How skinny is he?" Banzai dared to ask. "Right now as of this moment?"
"I haven't seen him in weeks."
"Last time you saw him, was his ribs showing?" Banzai asked.
"No."
"We will not eat him that way, your majesty!" Banzai insisted.
"Call me Mufasa."
"The bugs and vultures can eat him, Mufasa!" Shenzi stepped forward in a heat of anger. "I rather that we hunt him down, corner him, attack him, and eat him!"
"It is what he would want!" Mufasa retorted.
"Why doesn't he do that himself?" Shenzi snapped, darkly, then clarified. "Tells us this request instead of his brother."
"He is not thinking clearly." Shenzi was frozen by the response that took her back. "He has not accepted death... At this point among her pride, I do not believe they will let him after giving him so much false hope!" His voice had frustration in it and disappointment written all over it. "Over and over and over! Feeding his hope. He doesn't.. there are things he needs to do getting the end organized for himself and his cubs."
The hyenas were taken back
"It is getting close." Sarabi articulated what Mufasa was trying to say.
"Maybe when he gets here, he will accept the end is coming for him.." Mufasa concluded.
Shenzi looked down, pouting, pupils small, her ears pressed back lifting a single paw. Shenzi shook her head walking around once regaining some strength. Coming to terms with the event slated to play out. A Taka less world.
"Three months and he is packing in.." Shenzi said.
"He isn't the same." Mufasa reflected looking down in the middle of speaking quickly. "By my estimation, he died three months ago and what is speaking is something killing his body. Using him like a puppet."
Shanzi closed her eyes turning a away at the words that hurt.
"It is still Scar!" Banzai shot back. "We know hyenas who went through that!"
"The neck, mainly." Ed spoke, clearly.
Mufasa looked over as did the lionesses hearing him speaking normally. Their eyes all flashed open. His voice sounding plain and middle aged. His head lowered looking sad. Simba and Mufasa exchanged a look and back again and another look. Sounded like any ordinary hyena..
Shenzi gazed down silent processing him being gone. She turned her attention back facing the silenced crowd. Just a moment, though.
"He is not funny anymore is what you are saying." Shenzi turned away hanging her head wearing a stare facing the presentation tip.
"He isn't animated as the lion you once knew." Nala's voice was soft.
"Will you be hungry when the time arrives?" Simba was genuinely curious for how they were going to be when the time arrived.
"Of course we'll be hungry," Banzai was insulted and angry by the question. "hyenas belly is never—"
Shenzi looked over.
"Finish it." She swayed her paw in a circle.
"It is his joke." Banzai protested.
"Was his joke." Shenzi said.
"A hyenas belly is never full." Ed said. "We'll be hungry. We all will... Has his mane grown back, at least?"
Mufasa and the rest were still overwhelmed by Ed, the cackling, the laughing, the wheezing, speaking normally. Having a complete blue screen moment staring down on to him. Ed looked back and forth seeing their silence.
"It has." Simba confirmed.
"Still looks like himself then..." Banzai reflected.
"I thought you only cackled." Simba remarked.
Ed proceeded to start laughing hysterically.
"If he is making a bad joke..." Nala pinned her ears back, growling, angry, stepping forward.
"What is he saying?" Simba asked.
Banzai stared toward Ed deeply unimpressed then
"Ed is laughing." Banzai said.
"Excuse him, he is bilingual." Shenzi said, glaringly. "He speaks swalihi. And hyena."
"At least tell us where he is so we can see him." Banzai said.
They found Taka outside of Zahara's den enjoying the breeze staring on wearing a smile. The wind brushing against his dark mane. He was resting there quietly on a mattress made of large green leaves. Resting there enjoying the bathe of the sunlight. Resting there enjoying peace and quiet.
Shenzi's face fell at the living but dying visual lifting her paw.
Banzai took several steps back.
Ed turned away and walked off.
"Back to hunting the weak links." Shenzi said, bitterly.
Mufasa saw a couple lions approaching from afar.
He was optimistic and hopeful until one of the lion's scent and face became apparent. His nostril registering the scent. Not part of Zira's pride nor part of his pride for that matter. It wasn't her pride bringing him home.
Something came over Mufasa that he had been burying. Speeding toward the young lion. Anger and instinct and rage. Speeding on after him leaping and swatting. Stepping back growling facing against a much larger healthy lion that had strength. Mufasa fought back, and hard. Standing taking the crowd on his own.
He was smaller and still vicious. Excellent foe. Fighting like a lion that had nothing to lose turning them into his individual personal thick punching bags giving it his everything to fight something bigger than him. Screaming things at them that took the young males off guard and in a sea of confusion about what he was talking about. Taking a few chunks out of the young lions the further he got into the battle making them fight harder they ever had.
"HE IS MY BROTHER!"
The lions ran off speeding off leaving Mufasa who was battered.
"Father!" Simba cried.
Mufasa stood on his four paws joined by his son.
It was night when Zazu flew in and halted there.
Flying back and forth had been quite taxing on his heart and emotions. Pausing during the flight looking down.
Shenzi and Banzai and Ed surrounded the bird that was staring down at the lifeless ground.
"What brings the royal messenger here?" Shenzi asked.
Zazu looked up facing the hyenas who licked their lips.
"I have a reply to Mufasa and Sarabi." Zazu said.
Their heads bobbed up.
"From Scar." Banzai assumed.
"He has been outvoted. Zira is coming on the trip to tour the pridelands. Her grandparents don't trust Sarabi and Mufasa with the cubs."
It was a lot.
"Oh no..." Banzai's head bobbed up. "oh shit."
"Maybe he misheard them." Shenzi offered.
"He has PERFECT HEARING!" Zazu shouted. "Eyesight on the iffy about being perfect." Waving his wing and bending his feathers as if they were fingers pressing them together. "It was supposed to be a family event..." Zazu looked aside briefly, sighing. "Mufasa and Sarabi rarely see Taka and his ilk. And Zira is making it so hard on them and I don't know why."
All the hyenas had gathered around by the time that Zazu finished. Well designed alienation in play between royalty and the last links of Taka.
"To a lion losing his eyes.." Shenzi said.
"I liked her." Banzai complained.
Shenzi sensed what everyone was thinking.
"No, we are not going to eat her alive..." Shenzi was exasperated. "she has Kovu."
"What are we going to do then?" Banzai asked.
"I.." Shenzi said. "not we."
Banzai squinted back at Shenzi.
"What are you going to do?" Banzai asked.
"If this comes back to me–"
Shenzi batted Zazu who whimpered and looked disheveled.
"Problem solved." Ed stated.
"Scar is going to be carried here. Back home. Someone has to make sure she pays before he leaves."
Zazu got up to his feet.
"Thank you for listening." Zazu said.
Shenzi trotted off.
Zazu flew off making the journey back to pride rock then landed at the slant. Rafiki watched from afar as Zazu apologized informing he had been interrupted during a brief stop by hyenas. Simba lowered his head inspecting the bird out of concern. Rafiki watched the lion lift up as the message was delivered. Nala's ears lowered as her mouth hung open. Simba furrowed his eyebrows.
Mufasa and Sarabi wore equal looks of disapproval. Mufasa looked quite stung and angry. Sarabi closed her eyes for a short while then looking off facing the former mighty king. They looked unanimously disappointed in the turn out.
"Fine." Mufasa said.
Zira was drawn out of the den.
A series of psst that was high pitched.
She looked around through the greenery until she spotted the lone hyena standing there. A long moment standing there. The darkness lingering outside of the den. Shenzi approached the lioness then halted, seating herself, her gaze fixed on Zira, disappointed, then lifted her paw up and slapped her. A loud whack that punctuated the air.
Shenzi turned around then walked of leaving behind Zira standing there with her eyes shut rubbing where she had been slapped.
"What was that for?" Zira asked.
Shenzi didn't explain herself.