A Great Calling (Chapter 13)

Well, after I left Simba out near the waterhole to be taken by Timon and Pumbaa back to pride rock, I went to Sarabi, who was near Rafiki’s tree, to speak with her.

 

‘’Hey, Sarabi, I have something to say.‘’I said to the former queen, who I accepted as sort of a mother figure, who smiled.

 

‘’Whatever do you need to say, Shujaa?’’ Sarabi asked me and I sighed.

 

‘’Zira and the outsiders attacked Simba in the gorge where I recall you telling me Mufasa died at.’’ I informed her, ‘’In order to not blow my cover, I participated in the attack and did the final strike, but made sure not to kill Simba.’’

 

Sarabi was slightly surprised that I had participated in the attack, but nodded at the circumstances of it.

 

‘’I am thankful of you not killing my son.’’ Sarabi thanked me and I chuckled.

 

‘’I wouldn’t kill Simba even if I wanted to.’’ I said, ‘’No doubt i’ll be exiled, though.’’

 

‘’Perhaps…’’ Sarabi agreed, ‘’As much as I love Simba, my son was never really one to reserve judgement.’’

 

‘’Let’s just hope this is a rare occasion of him doing so.’’ I chuckled and Sarabi sighed.

 

 

Later, I had finished visiting Rafiki after Sarabi left and went back to pride rock to find all of the animals suddenly staring right at me with stern faces...ah, I know what this is about. Quickly, I cleared my throat as Simba frowned at me next with a fearful Kiara and a doubtful Nala next to him.

 

‘’Greetings, Simb-’’ I started, but was interrupted by the king.

 

‘’SILENCE!’’ Simba outright screamed, causing me to fall off balance by surprise, ‘’You assisted the outsiders in their attack!’’

 

‘’Simba, at least let me explain why I-’’ I started, but was against silenced by Simba.

 

‘’You assisted Zira in the attempted assassination of me...you even struck me in the neck.’’ Simba said and the crowd gasped while I scoffed.

 

‘’I made them believe you were dead so they would stay away from the pridelands for a little while longer.’’ I explained, ‘’You sent me to spy on them and that was a stage of that.’’

 

But Simba, as Sarabi warned, was not reserving judgement or forgiveness. And as if hearing my thoughts, Sarabi looked at me with a saddened ‘I told you’ face.

 

‘’Father, please understand where he is coming fro-’’ Kiara started, trying to defend me, but Simba growled, causing Kiara to step back.

 

‘’Answer this, Shujaa.’’ Simba started, ‘’Did you know of us prior to coming to our world and teaming with the outsiders?’’

 

I didn’t team with them due to a common enemy, rather to spy on them, as you approved, but whatever...i’ll break the truth about their world.

 

‘’....Yes.’’ I admitted, causing everyone, including Kiara, Sarabi and Nala, to gasp, ‘’I knew of your world prior to coming here.’’

 

‘’So you’ve lied to us this entire time…?’’ Simba asked, more startled than angry.

 

‘’It was to prevent you from raising suspicions, Simb-’’ I started, but Simba growled again.

 

‘’Your loyalty to us, your friendship with Kiara, everything that you’ve done for us...was a lie?’’ Simba asked again, more serious, causing me to balk.

 

‘’Simba, you know that’s not true!’’ I tried to say, but Simba was buying it.

 

‘’Shujaa...do you know the penalty for something this major?’’ Simba asked and I slowly nodded, ‘’For lying to us for four years, assisting in the attempted assassination of a royal and using others to your advantage...I sentence you to EXILE!’’

 

And THERE IT IS!

 

Well, this was certainly unexpected.

 

‘’NO, WAIT!’’ Kiara pleaded, but was blocked by two lionesses.

 

...Well, this was an unbelievable situation. I follow through with my spying in order to keep my cover and I get exiled for it simply because I nicked Simba’s throat and knew of their world prior to coming here.

 

Deception

 

Well, that can be seen both ways, tbh.

 

Disgrace

 

That’s a bit odd calling me a disgrace.

 

Evil as plain as the scar on his face!

 

Kind of harsh calling me evil simply because I held back the truth from you guys and referencing the fact I accidentally got a scar across my face from protecting a group of hyraxes a while back...well, time to leave.

 

 

And leave I did….or so they thought. After the crowds dispersed I sneaked my way to the peak of pride rock to listen in on a conversation between Simba and Kiara.

 

‘’Father, please reconsider.’’ Kiara said to Simba, who was looking in the distance.

 

‘’You will not go anywhere without an escort from now on.’’ Simba informed Kiara flatly.

 

‘’No, that’s not-’’ Kiara started, but Simba turned to her with a growl.

 

‘’Shujaa used you to get to me, Kiara!’’ Simba growled, ‘’He knew about us before arriving on this world and helped the outsiders in their attempted killing of me! He was USING you!’’

 

‘’No! He loves me for who I am, father!’’ Kiara protested, ‘’He has not done anything to me..to US! He has not done anything that harmed us and you’re exiling him for something he HAD to do, not what he WANTED to do!’’

 

‘’He’s one of them! One of Scar’s followers!’’ Simba yelled. Well, I was always a Scar lover, but that’s besides the point.

 

‘’One of...where’s the evidence?!’’ Kiara balked, but Simba turned back towards the lush grasslands.

 

‘’He and the outsiders are following Scar’s pawprints...and I must follow my father’s.’’ Simba told her, causing Kiara to tear up.

 

‘’YOU WILL NEVER BE MUFASA!’’ Kiara cried before running into the den, tears flowing and Simba looking shocked...well, what do you expect from your daughter when you just exiled someone she cares dearly about and grew up loving as a best friend.

 

Nonetheless, I knew I couldn’t stay forever, so I quickly ran down pride rock and towards the southern border, only stopping to see Rafiki looking at me with a sympathetic look.

 

‘’I am sorry, Shujaa.’’ Rafiki apologized, but I sighed.

 

‘’It’s not your fault, Rafiki...it’s mine.’’ I said before continuing to run...to god knows where.

 

 

I walked across a desert in the cold night, kicking over rocks as I tried to look for food three hours after I was exiled. As I kept walking, I heard crying coming from the sand dunes that were only a few feet away from me. I walked up the dunes and saw Kiara laying in the middle of nowhere, crying as she kept saying my name, causing me to sigh.

 

‘’Kiara?’’ I asked and Kiara’s head slowly raised up at the voice and her name being called.

 

‘’C-Connor?’’ Kiara replied while sniffling, then saw me before she quickly got up and nuzzled me, causing me to fall to the ground and nuzzle back, ‘’I don’t know why he did it….’’

 

‘’Eh, Simba was always hard-headed.’’ I shrugged as Kiara got off of me, letting me pull myself up, ‘’But now I can keep going...keep walking until I find a good place to stay until I go back to my world.’’

 

‘’But, Connor…’’ Kiara started, nuzzling up against me again, ‘’We have to go back.’’

 

‘’Well, why do you say that?’’ I asked, ‘’I’ve been exiled, you’re out here and the outsiders are...oh….I see what you’re trying to do.’’

 

‘’You do?’’ Kiara replied with a raised eyebrow.

 

‘’You’re wanting to reunite the prides, aren’t you?’’ I asked and Kiara slowly nodded, ‘’Clever girl.’’

 

Kiara giggled at that as I walked up the sand dune.

 

‘’Which way back to the pridelands?’’ I asked her, ‘’I want to redeem myself for my mistakes.’’

 

‘’It’s up north.’’ Kiara answered, coming up next to me, ‘’But this isn’t your fault.’’

‘’Yes…’’ I mumbled as we started running north, ‘’Yes it is.’’