The air was thick and the land was silent in this ancient baobab tree. The stars and the small fire Jama made lighting our faces in this melancholy tree.

The light was fading. The light in Rafiki was fading.

"Please, you can't-" I started but the lump in my throat overpowered me. His dark eyes were barely open but he smiled and placed his paw on my nose and swiped it softly.

"My boy," he whispered and caressed my ear. "You are ready."

"Not on my own Rafiki. We need you. I need you." I sob softly and watch his eyes close momentarily before they open again, slowly.

"All you need is around you now. Take care of the lands."

"But-" I stopped myself when he slowly shook his head, as if to stop me from starting an argument he didn't have the energy for. He blinked and his breathing became heavy but he placed his paw on my shoulder and pulled me in closer, his lips inches from my rimmed ear.

"Tanabi, listen closely." His voice is dry and I know his time is so very limited. I lean closer to him and listen to his last words of advice.

"Prepare for war when milk and honey come to the Pride Lands. Prepare, Tana, or lose these lands to lions with ill intent." My heart stopped and my blood ran cold. A war? In the Pride Lands? There hadn't been war since the one between Zira and Simba all those years ago.

I was crowned King and everyone in the land had rejoiced and accepted me as their true king. Lions from afar and near came to greet me and claim their alliances to me, to the eldest son of the late Simba. Who would start a war after so much acceptance? What did his words mean?

"Milk and honey? Rafiki, does that mean in the spring? I don't understand, old friend. Help me understand." I rambled too quickly and confused. Milk and honey? I knew these words but they only ever meant peace to me. Milk meant new life and honey meant bees and the spring when they collected their pollen. Will I have another child? Would they bring me war? How?

No. My child would not bring war. Vitani and I have raised our children with love and peace. They were good cubs. And if the Great Kings allowed us another child, it would be a blessing. Vitani not being able to have more cubs since our triplets has hurt us--a child born from want would not cause a war. Would it?

"You will understand in time. Listen to those around you and love them even if things are too hard. Listen, listen, the wind is changing." He says and the wind picks up and blows out the little fire, sending a shiver up my spine.

"Rafiki-" I press. He needed to answer me. How would I know what that meant? What war? Lead by who?

"My father needs rest, Tana." Jama sniffles and places her paw over her fathers forehead and smooths his white mane. Rafiki looks up at her and even in the darkness you could see how he beamed looking at his only daughter.

"Thank you my daughter. Tell your little one I will play with him when...I..when I wake." He sputters and slowly his dark eyes shut and a gasp escapes him.

"Rafiki?" I call, placing my paw over his chest. It was still. "No." I whimper and feel my body fall into itself. My dear friend was gone.

"The Great Shaman is finally at rest. I and my son will follow in his ways and promise to guide you and your family until our last breath." Jama says in between soft whimpers and tears looking at her father still.

"I will bury him beside Mufasa. I think that is what he would he have wanted." I nod in agreement but don't say anything. It was a pain in my chest and in my soul. He was really gone. Granted he had been around since the time of Mohatu, my great grandmother Uru's father. It was time his body rested like the many kings and queens he had served before me.

"Babu?" Nafasi, Jama's young cub mumbles and reaches to touch Rafiki's mane. Tears in his dark eyes. He was the spitting image of Rafiki, it was uncanny actually.

"Babu has reached his infinite sleep son." Jama says and her voice cracks but she holds her son close and cleans away his small tears.

"M.K." I beckon and soon he and Ayodele flutter down with Abeni, their young cub, clutched to Ayodele's chest. "Spread the news, Shaman Rafiki has died. But do it carefully, many of the animals were close friends of his."

"Of course. We'll be back by morning." Ayodele confirms and they take off, their strange wings making a fleshy sound as they went.

"I think we should all go and give Jama and Nafasi their time to mourn." Vitani mumbles and wipes at her face to rid them of her tears. This loss would take a toll on everyone, not just myself. I have to remind myself of that--not everything is about me.

"We will be back in a few days for the burial." I whisper and wrap my arms around Jama and her cub, her husband being gone as well wasn't going to be easy for her and her young one. It was a loss that would pain them for many years to come.

Vitani and I lingered behind our family and made sure everyone was counted for as we walked back to Pride Rock.

"It seems people can't stop dying around you, can they brother?" 

Kion. He had changed so much since our fathers death. Since our mothers death shortly after that. Vitani and I had taken him in and raised him as our own son. Kiara and Kovu and their brood has gone to Egypt to speak with the lions there and gain their trust and alliance. It had been millennia's since the lions of Egypt and Africa had spoken. It was time to restore the bond.

"Mind your tone, Kion." Vitani growls and Kion chortles.

"Or what?" He challenges, his scared eye twinkling.

"Just because you have thicker fur growing on your chest doesn't make you a lion. You're still a cub and because of that fact you will respect us. We raised you from nothing Kion. You are my brother and we are all we have left."

"You're nothing to me." He spats and in doing so making my son Maalum's ears twitch and he turns. He was older than Kion and like me he was massive. It was only a matter of time before they got into an argument bigger than just ear pulling like in their youth.

"If I'm such a burden to you then go. Rani is waiting for your return as it is." I try to keep my temper at bay. But, Kion has a darkness within him that I can't tolerate.

"Don't talk about Rani. Everyone knows you sold me to her to get rid of me." He stops walking now and faces both me and my Queen.

"Kiongozi, I knew of your feelings for her. I couldn't deny you the satisfaction of your mate. You wed young but I didn't stop you then and I'm not going to now. I didn't sell you, son, you sold yourself."

"Don't. Call. Me. Son." He growls and crouches, his honey eyes in slits. "You only agreed to the marriage because it would make another alliance for you! As if you didn't have everyone in the Pride Lands eating your a-"

"Alright that's enough Mohawk." Maalum grumbles and picks Kion up by the scruff of the neck. It looked odd but it was fitting.

"Let go of me you giraffe!" Kion bucks and tries to claw at his nephew but it's no use. Maalum was too strong. And my son was aware of that. 

Vitani and I chuckle but there was a heaviness in the air. 

"What if he's what will bring war, Tani?" 

"What does milk and honey have to do with Kion?" She giggles and pushes me softly with her shoulder. 

"What does milk and honey have to do with anything?" I pout and look away from her. She knew those almost violet eyes affect me in every way and she used that to her advantage very well. 

"Don't pout." She giggles again and rubs her head under my neck and keeps it under as we walk. "We can't control the future Tana. All we can do is prepare and live in the now." 

"When did you get so wise?" I chuckle and lick the top of her head. She purrs and sets a fire in my chest. 

"When we had a kingdom and six cubs to raise on our own." She reminds me and we laugh knowing how difficult the past five years have been. The cubs were ten now and it was so hard to keep them at bay. They had their own thoughts and opinions now and it was starting to show just how much those thoughts and opinions mattered to them. 

"Imara is almost as tall as Maalum now." I point out and watch our eldest son walk, almost regally beside his more rebellious brother. They were polar opposites but somehow they got along. I wished the same for Kion and I. I wished for it almost every night. 

"Salama too." Vitani beams looking at our golden girl. Salama was a big girl but I don't think she minded very much. She was only a bit taller than her mother and the rest of the females but it was noticeable. I dared anyone say anything less than positive about her height. Her brothers and sister would join in as well if anyone dared. It was like Salama was somehow the glue of the group. 

"The twins took the news well." I sigh and look at them as they swat at each other, Kellan and Adya always the playful cubs. Them being adopted was well known throughout the Pride of course but to us they were just as much ours as the triplets. 

"One more?" I beg and she rolls those big blue eyes at me. 

"And be like Mheetu and Shanni? No thanks." She shutters but a sad smile appears. "We have to see them soon. And Siwatu and Shyra. I miss them and the cubs." 

They had all left years ago to start their own Prides and live their own lives. I understood but it hurt that my Pride was empty without them. I took on Vitani's old pride and Simba's but Mheetu and the rest--they were my family. 

"I want to meet Tau soon. He's what five now?" I felt badly not having been there for his birth. But they were so far away and I had so much to attend to here. I would have to see them soon and visit my nieces and nephews. 

"I hope he looks like Ni. You know how much Ni meant to Mheetu." 

"We'll see them soon, I promise." 

"Beba and Shanira too? And the cubs?" 

"Everyone. I promise." 

________________________________________________________________________________

IT'S HEREEEEE!!!! 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STAYING WITH ME FOR ALMOST TEN YEARS! IT'S INSANE TO ME HOW I WAS 13/14 WRITING FOR KOPA'S STORY ON MY IPHONE WITH NO SENSE OF DIRECTION AND IN EIGHT GRADE TO NOW BEING ALMOST 21 AND ALMOST IN NURSING SCHOOL WRITING THE SEQUEL ON MY NEW LAPTOP!

INSANE. 

I HOPE THIS FIRST CHAPTER IS ALRIGHT AND THAT YOU ENJOY THIS STORY JUST AS MUCH AS KOPA. 

I WILL BE POSTING A "CHAPTER" WITH THE FAMILIES AND THEIR VOICES AND AGES AFTER THIS CHAPTER. CHAPTER TWO IS 10 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE SO THE CUBS WILL BE MUCH OLDER AND THAT IS WHEN THE STORY WILL REALLY BEGIN. SO THE AGES POSTED IN THE NEXT "CHAPTER" MEANS HOW OLD THEY ARE IN CHAPTER TWO AND AS THE STORY CONTINUES. 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!

~D.M.G.