Later that day, I was dressed in the gorgeous dress Shuri had made for me, and we were standing on a magnificent boat as we floated down the river. I laughed as Shuri and Ramonda danced, but soon Shuri looked at me, grinning. She ran over and grabbed my hand.

"Come on," she said. I tried to pull my hand away, and she laughed. "Come on!" She dragged me to the middle of the boat and showed me how to do the dance. I laughed as we danced around, but she stopped me after a while and looked at the Dora Milaje.

"Watch," she whispered. She looked up at me. "You're going to love this." We watched the Dora Milaje carefully.

"Phambili!" Okoye called. The rest of the Dora echoed her before slamming their spears onto the boat. The force sent out a ripple from the boat, and as I watched I saw the water towards the end of the river start to churn. I watched in awe as the water lowered into the giant drains built into the river. I grinned at Shuri, and we made our way down to the cliffs, where the ceremony would take place. Soon a ship lowered, and T'Challa stepped out. Everyone immediately went silent. He crossed his arms before kneeling, and a man in a purple robe stepped forward.

"I, Zuri," he said, "Son of Badu , give to you, Prince T'Challa , the Black Panther!" He held up a black bowl. "The Prince will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away ." Zuri poured the solution into T'Challa's mouth. T'Challa reacted violently, choking on the purple fluid. I frowned as he spasmed, his veins expanding and his muscles contracting as the poison spread through him. But soon, he stopped shaking and exhaled slowly before standing up. "Damaku!" The crowd echoed the phrase, and Zuri continued. "Victory in ritual combat comes by yield or death. If any tribe wishes to put forth a warrior, I now offer a path to the throne." When every tribe stated that they would not challenge, he nodded. "Is there any member of royal blood who wishes to challenge for the throne?" Shuri raised her hand slowly, and everyone gasped. I, however, stifled a laugh.

"This corset is really uncomfortable," she said. "So could we all just wrap it up and go home?" Ramonda pinched her, and I snorted quietly. "Ai, Mother!" T'Challa smiled and shook his head, but it dropped when wooden drums and chanting filled the air. Everyone looked to the mouth of the main cave where a group of warriors and drummers began filing out. Okoye readied the Dora Milaje, and Shuri turned to her mother.

"Are they Jabari?" she asked quietly. Ramonda nodded.

"Yes." I frowned.

"What are Jabari?" I asked. She looked back at me.

"They are Wakandans that rejected the truce set by the first Black Panther. They've lived in the mountains since then." I nodded and looked back at the pool as Zuri approached a substantially tall man in a gorilla mask.

"M'Baku," he said. "What are you doing here?!" The man pulled his mask off and glanced around.

"It's challenge day," he said. He turned to address the crowd. "We have watched and listened from the mountains. We have watched with disgust, as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child." He pointed his spear towards Shuri, and I stepped in front of her protectively. "Who scoffs at tradition. And now...you want to hand the nation over to this prince...who could not even keep his own father safe from hers." He moved his spear to point at me, and I gritted my teeth. I felt Shuri hold my hand tightly, urging me not to do anything. "Hmm?" He turned to look at T'Challa. "We will not have it. I said we will not have it, oh! I, M'Baku, leader of the Jabari-"

"I accept your challenge, M'Baku," T'Challa cut in quickly. M'Baku smirked.

"Glory to Hanuman." Zuri stepped forward and put a Panther mask on T'Challa as M'Baku replaced his. He clenched his fists and called out for his Jabari soldiers, who then formed a semicircle behind him. T'Challa then did the same for the Dora, and all the soldiers pointed their spears towards the two fighters. Zuri raised his hand, ill-at-ease.

"Let the challenge begin!" The warriors clashed, both with great skill. M'Baku had superior strength, but T'Challa was faster and able to dodge the Jabari's swings. He knocked M'Baku's spear free with his shield, but the older man knocked him backward into the water. T'Challa quickly jumped back up.

M'Baku charged at T'Challa, but the prince grabbed M'Baku's spear and cartwheeled over it to land another kick. The two continued to battle until M'Baku delivered a backhand that knocked T'Challa off his feet near the Dora's spears. With the deadly tips at his back, T'Challa blocked M'Backu's blows with his shield, then rushed forward for an aerial attack only to be met by a kick to the chest, causing him to lose both his shield and spear.

"Where is your God, now?!" M'Baku yelled. Defenseless, T'Challa attempted to hit M'Baku, but he grabbed him and delivered a headbutt that pained even me to watch. "No powers! No claws! No special suit, oh ! Just a boy, not fit to lead." I watched helplessly as T'Challa dangled limply from M'Baku's arms.

"Show him who you are!" Ramonda yelled. This seemed to strengthen T'Challa, and he headbutted M'Baku suddenly to free himself. M' Baku retaliated angrily, piercing T'Challa's shoulder with his spear. The prince groaned in pain, grabbing the staff and looking up at M'Baku.

"I am Prince T'Challa!" he yelled. "Son of King T'Chaka!"

"You can do this T'Challa!" Shuri yelled. T'Challa wedged M'Baku ' s spear under his foot and pulled M'Baku into the pool, flipping his body into a chokehold under his leg. M'Baku fought, but couldn't escape.

"Yield!" T'Challa instructed. "Don't make me kill you."

"I would rather die!"

"You have fought with honor, now yield! Your people need you." M'Baku looked up at the Jabari warriors. "Yield, man!" M' Baku begrudgingly reached out and tapped T'Challa's leg. The prince released him, and the Jabari leader stood up shakily, making his way back to his people as Zuri stepped forward. The crowd erupted in cheers as T'Challa stood before them.

"I now present to you, King T'Challa, the Black Panther!" T'Challa smiled at the old man as he placed a claw necklace around his neck.

"Zuri."

"My King." Drums began to play and people started to dance. Shuri grabbed me in a hug, and I laughed before looking back at T'Challa.

"Wakanda forever!"