The Akili Files
By Phil Johnson
“The Lion King”, “The Lion King II, Simba’s Pride”, Simba, Nala,
Kiara and all other characters and ideas within those movies are
property of Disney corp. Any character quotations and dialogue taken
from the movies are also property of Disney. This work is not an attempt
to claim ownership or challenge the ownership by Disney corp. of those
characters, ideas and movies.
“The Akili Files”, Akili, Sanira, Nyamaza, Siri, Peke, Penda, and
all other characters and ideas created in this work, as well al the work
itself, are property of Philip Johnson.
“The Akili Files” are distributed free of charge. They were
written for entertainment and consideration only, not profit.
Any similarity of any character within this work and any person,
dead or alive, is purely coincidental, with the exception of characters
used that were introduced in either “The Lion King” or “The Lion King
II, Simba’s Pride”. Any similarity to those characters are, obviously,
intentional and done with as much skill as the author’s talent would
allow.
Part 1
Chapter 1
Simba felt content. The presentation of Kiara this morning had
happened flawlessly, and the Pride Lands looked beautiful. They had
recovered from the drought since the rains returned after Scar’s death.
Simba felt an involuntary growl emanate from his throat. Scar.
Just the thought of that name brought back all his feelings of hatred
for his accursed uncle .Simba told himself he would never forgive Scar
for what he had done. Done to his father, and to himself.
“Good morning, Sire!” came a call from above, causing Simba to
smile and forget his train of thought. Zazu was never late for his
morning report, even when there was no real news in the entire Pride
Lands. But Zazu did sometimes bring important news, so Simba sat down
and waited for the hornbill. “Good morning, Zazu.”
“Sire, I regret my morning report will have to wait,” said Zazu
as he perched in front of Simba on a small tree, raised above the
surrounding grass. “Something more important has come up.”
“Really, Zazu, what could be more important than your morning
report?” asked Simba. Behind the light joke was a small sense of
urgency. Anything that could stop Zazu’s routine had to be important.
“Someone has asked to meet you. He has been of help to me in the
past and was a close friend of your fathers before he died.” Zazu
stopped when he saw a wave of pain hit Simba’s face and knew he
shouldn’t have mentioned Mufasa’s death. ”Anyway, he asked me to tell
you that he wanted to meet with you today.”
“Really? Who is he?”
“I’m sorry Simba, but I’m not allowed to tell you.”
Simba couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not allowed? How can you not be
allowed to answer a direct question from your king?”
Suddenly from somewhere to his left a strong, calm voice spoke.
“Do not be concerned with Zazu, Simba. He agreed to keep my identity
secret long before you were born.”
Simba spun to his left, caught off guard by the voice. “Who are
you?”
This time it was from his right that the voice spoke. ”Before I
answer, you too must promise to not reveal my existence. If you don’t, I
must leave now.”
Simba turned toward the voice again, but could see nothing but the
grass. He was feeling a little annoyed, but also curious, so he decided
to play along. “Very well, I agree.”
Directly in front of him, a few paces away, a lion rose from the
grass. He stood half a head above Simba and stared at him with piercing
blue eyes. Not a hair in his pure black mane was out of place, and, even
through the grass, Simba could see thick muscles concealed by coconut
brown skin. When Simba looked at him, this creature seemed to radiate
strength, intelligence, and power.
“Your promise was made half-heartedly, but it will do. My name is
Akili.”
Simba couldn’t help but feel he had heard this voice before, but
he recognized neither the lion nor his name. “Greetings Akili. I am
Simba, king of the Pride Lands. Zazu tells me you were a friend of my
father.”
“Yes, I heard, though friend is barely accurate. I was also a
close advisor, and I would like to extend the same services to you.”
Akili calmly walked forward and sat before Simba.
Simba decided to see if he could break this creature’s calm
composure. “I have Zazu for information about the Pride Lands and my own
intelligence to solve any problems within them. Why should I need you
around?”
Akili turned to Zazu. “Zazu, would you mind leaving for few
minutes? What I’m about to discuss may be a little personal for Simba.”
Simba decided to play along a bit further. He turned to Zazu and
nodded. Zazu seemed annoyed, but he flew a distance away and perched in
a tree. “All right, we’re alone.”
Akili sighed and glanced at Zazu. “Zazu is a good, reliable source
of information, but he is limited by his status as majordomo. People
often don’t know I’m around so speak freely around me, while they stop
talking when Zazu flies by. Often I can learn things quicker than him,
and I can keep a better eye on what neighboring prides and other
predators are up to. Besides, there is something else I have noticed I
can help you with that no one else has identified.” At this point Akili
walked right up to Simba and looked directly down into his eyes.
“Something is killing you Simba. Something is eating away at you
from inside and, unless you deal with it, it will kill you.”
“And what would that be?” asked Simba, feeling more than a bit
uncomfortable.
“Your anger. Your rage. Your hatred that you are trying to contain
and hide. I have seen other lions in the same situation as you, and I
know you can’t survive this way.”
Simba took a step back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
He knew the anger Akili was talking about, his hatred for Scar, but...
“I don’t need your help,” he said. “I can deal with it myself.”
“Funny. That’s the same thing Taka said.”
Simba looked up at him. “Who?”
“Sorry, you never knew him by his real name. You know him as Scar”
“You were friends with Scar?”
“I could always understand Taka like no other lion in the Pride
Lands. I talked with him and tried to warn Mufasa of how dangerous Taka
was, but Mufasa could never believe Taka was capable of murder. He
always saw Taka as the cub he and Sarabi played with when they were
young. He couldn’t accept, and therefor couldn’t deal with, what Taka
had become.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“True, I didn’t, which means you will get your answer when I am
ready.” He stood there looking at Simba for a few seconds before
continuing. “I must know if you will accept my services or not, Simba.
If not, I need to leave and find another king to advise. Do you want my
help?”
Simba thought for a moment. It was true that Zazu couldn’t find
out everything, and he couldn’t easily observe other prides. Akili was
obviously experienced and observant, since he had detected Simba’s anger
when most of the pride had forgotten it. “Yes, I would like your
services,” he said. Then he added, “but what do you want in return? You
don’t seem like the sort of lion to volunteer his time.”
“Indeed not. There is something I want.” Akili turned away and
lowered his head. “I told you I could understand Taka like no one else.
That is because I too am a kings brother, from another pride. I grew up
in my brothers shadow as Taka did. But when my brother became king, he
exiled me because I was a threat. One lioness, Sanira, ran away and
joined me in exile, and we have been together ever since.” Akili turned
around and looked at Simba again. “When I worked for your father, he
allowed my wife and I to live in the Pride Lands and to hunt from the
pride’s herds. I ask the same from you.”
Simba again had to stop and think. Why would Akili, after
correctly describing Simba’s own hatred for Scar, describe how alike he
and Scar were? But his price wasn’t unreasonable, and after Scar’s
followers, the Outsiders now, were banished, the herds needed a few more
predators to keep them in check. “all right. you can live in the Pride
Lands.”
“Thank you. I see our little blue friend is headed back, so you
will see me again when I have some news for you.” Akili stepped back and
bowed slightly to Simba.
Simba looked over his shoulder to see Zazu flying back. “Well,”
Zazu said, “I see he’s finished for now. What did he say?”
“Well...” Simba wasn’t sure what to tell Zazu and he glanced back
at Akili. But Akili was nowhere to be seen. “Where...” Simba muttered as
he looked left and right. “Where did he...”
“You get used to it eventually, Sire. He’s always doing that,”
Zazu said, knowing without asking what had puzzled his king so suddenly.
“So what did you talk about?”
Simba decided he was grateful Zazu hadn’t been there to hear about
Simba’s anger, and not much of the rest seemed it would be important to
the hornbill. “It’s personal,” he responded, and was rewarded with an
annoyed stare from Zazu.
Chapter 2
Akili watched Kiara as she left Pride Rock, chasing a butterfly.
“Oh, to be that young and carefree again,” he thought. He moved down the
ramp from Pride Rock’s peak to be closer to Simba. Time would be of the
essence today.
“Danger could be lurking behind every rock,” Simba told Timon and
Pumbaa as they left, and Akili inwardly shook his head. Timon and Pumbaa
were no baby-sitters, but nothing would convince Simba of that.
Simba tried to watch Kiara as she bounded away, but eventually
lost her in the grass. He knew how dangerous the Pride Lands could be,
but containing his daughter was impossible. “Well,” he thought, “at
least Timon and Pumbaa are following her.”
“Simba,” Akili whispered behind him, so the lionesses in the cave
wouldn’t hear.
The voice was barely audible, but Simba recognized it at once . He
turned to see Akili walking down the path on Pride Rock to the ground.
Simba followed the dark lion until they were under the Promitory of
Pride Rock. “Well Akili, what news do you bring today?” Simba asked.
Akili turned and looked at him with his usual smile. During their
meetings over the last 2 moons, this was when he usually gave his full
report. What prides were planning what, which predators were poaching on
the Pride’s herds. But today he had something else planned.
“All the neighboring prides are respecting your borders with the
usual amount of jealousy. The cheetahs you attacked yesterday have
returned to their homelands, and no other creatures are poaching at this
time. And the Outsiders are still living in those hollow hills I told
you about and are finding enough food to live.”
“Is that all? You usually wait to give a report until you have
something vital.” Simba responded. Indeed, in the time they had known
each other Akili had only given a dozen reports. It wasn’t like Akili to
waste his time like this.
“I didn’t come to give you information, or I would have had more
to give you,” Akili retorted. “Today I thought I’d tell you some more
about myself, and my services for you.
“In the time between my exile and when I found the Pride Lands, I
found ways to spy on others and stay unnoticed in general. One of these
ways was predicting what certain creatures would most likely do, say, or
react. The more I studied the creature, the better my predictions.”
“Oh, come on, Akili. You actually expect me to believe that?”
Simba said, barely containing a laugh. Rafiki could sometimes do odd
thinks like that, but a lion?
“I thought you’d need a demonstration, so I have one ready. Come
with me, Simba.” Akili turned and started running toward the Outlands,
while Simba quickly tried to catch up. Simba was amazed that, even
though he must be running at full speed, Akili made no noise while
running. “How does he do that?” Simba wondered.
Akili heard Kiara a little ways ahead and to the left, so he
angled slightly right. Not for the first time, he was silently grateful
the members of his old pride had better hearing than most lions. Simba
shouldn’t have heard Kiara yet, nor vice versa. If his plans for today
were to go properly, Kiara and Simba shouldn’t meet each other. Not yet.
Simba saw Akili shift to the side, and followed in suit. Soon they
came to a stop near a large stream, full with alligators. Akili turned
to Simba.
“Today you will meet someone. Someone you haven’t seen in weeks.
They are going to make offer you something, a pound of flesh. You will
reject their offer, though it may be tempting.”
Simba was confused. If this was supposed to be a real prediction,
it was a little farfetched. Why would someone he hadn’t seen in weeks
offer him a meal, and even if they did, why would he reject it? It made
no sense. “And how did you come to this prediction?”
“If I’m right, meet me here tomorrow when the sun is at it’s peak.
I’ll tell you then.” Akili could hear Kiara laughing as she approached,
and so needed to get Simba to hide. “As for now, how about a spying
lesson?”
Simba’s interest immediately peaked, for he wondered how Akili was
able to spy so effectively. “Good idea, how do we start?” he asked.
“First, lie low to the ground, as if you were hunting. From now
on, not talking, only whispering.” As he sank below the grass he saw
Kiara approach, but she hadn’t seen either of them.
“Follow me. Step slowly, and with your entire foot hitting and
leaving the ground at once,” Akili whispered. Then he slowly walked
toward the stream, and toward a small clearing in the grass. To Simba’s
amazement, his own steps made no sound when he walked this way. However,
he still wondered how Akili could run silently as well.
Akili stopped near the edge of the clearing, but far enough away
that he was hardly noticeable through the grass. He motioned with his
paw for Simba to come up along side him. He heard a commotion starting a
little ways upstream, and know time was almost up. “Now we lie and wait.
Kiara should be along soon. Try to keep her from seeing you.” He was
speaking so softly Simba wouldn’t have understood him if he hadn’t been
speaking in Simba’s ear. “When I say so, leap out and roar. The
lionesses are hunting nearby and will come to your aid.”
Simba was about to ask why he would need the rest of the pride,
but just then a lion jumped out of the stream. He was brown, small, and
had a very early tuft of black hair that would grow into his mane. At
first Simba thought it was probably Akili’s, but then he remembered he
was right next to the Outlands. “Akili wouldn’t keep his cubs this close
to those back-stabbers,” Simba thought. “No, this cub must be one of
Scar’s.”
Next Kiara jumped out of the stream. Simba wondered what she was
doing in there, and why was she with an Outsider? The two cubs looked
over the edge back into the stream. Simba couldn’t make out what they
said, however, because Akili chose that moment to interrupt with another
whisper. “Don’t move until Kovu growls.” Simba turned to ask who Kovu
was, but Akili was gone. Slowly, he turned back and prepared to pounce.
Chapter 3
Zira climbed down from on top of her anthill-like home. She had
just finished singing, one of the few things that still brought her
pleasure. One of the others was plotting Simba’s downfall.
“Wait, where is the sun?” she thought frantically, as her thought
of Simba caused her to remember her appointment. “Oh no, it’s already
set.” Suddenly she broke out into a run back toward the Pride Lands.
A few minutes later, short of breath, she returned to the stream
that marked her border. And there, waiting with an annoyed look on his
face, was Nyamaza. “You’re late. What, did you decide singing was more
important than me?” the dark lion asked.
Zira didn’t even try to respond, having learned the futility of
trying to argue with this lion. Instead, she let loose her anger over
what had happened just hours ago.
“Where was I? Where were YOU today. First Kovu runs off on his own
away from Nuka, then he nearly gets eaten by alligators, and then Simba
shows up and nearly rips him apart! Nyamaza, you said...”
“Zira, what are you complaining about? I had the situation under
control.”
“Control? How could you, when you weren’t there?”
“Let’s take your complaints one at a time. First Kovu runs off on
his own. Do you think I would have told you to have Nuka watch him if I
didn’t know where he was going to be anyway?
“Then you complain he ran into trouble with alligators. My, wasn’t
it convenient that Kiara showed up just before he went into the stream.
And isn’t it convenient that they happened to help each other and
protect each other from the alligators.
“And then Simba showed up. My, it’s a good thing you were hiding
nearby so you could protect Kovu. by the way, what were you doing hiding
there anyway?”
Zira looked away in aggravation. “You told me to wait there.”
“Exactly. I told you to wait there. I knew Simba would show up, so
I had you ready to protect Kovu. And I knew Kovu would go into the
stream, so I arranged for him to have a little playmate to help him
escape. I had the situation under control.”
Zira looked back at him. She probably would have been amazed by
Nyamaza’s explanation, but she was used to this sort of thing by now.
“Look, maybe Scar was comfortable with you doing things like this during
his reign, but I like to know what is going on.”
Nyamaza acted like he hadn’t even heard her. “Did you notice
Kiara’s reaction toward Kovu today? Quite interesting, don’t you think.”
Zira had learned over the years that whenever Nyamaza said
interesting, he meant important. “Yes I noticed, and I came up with a
little plan to use it.”
“Let me guess. Once Kovu grows strong enough to kill Simba, have
Kovu use Kiara to get close enough to Simba to kill him when his back is
turned? Is that your grand new plan?”
“Basically, yes.”
Nyamaza lightly chuckled. “That has been my plan for weeks. I used
today to test my prediction of Kiara’s feelings, as well as introduce
Kovu to Simba, in all his snarling glory.
“There are still two flaws with the plan.” At this Zira paid
closer attention, for she had never before heard Nyamaza admit to a flaw
in anything he planned. “Kovu will need to be allowed to stay in the
Pride Lands before Kiara will feel strongly enough toward him for Simba
to drop his guard. Also, Kovu will need to learn how to hide his anger
from Simba so that it won’t give away our plan. And since I am the most
expert lion in hiding, I will train him in what he needs to know.”
Zira could hardly believe her ears. For weeks she had asked
Nyamaza to help her in raising Kovu, but he had always refused. She
wasn’t sure whether to thank him or to hit him for the stress he had
been causing her. “I will tell him to meet you tomorrow.”
“NO. Kovu must not know that you’ve met me. It could lead to him
seeing me as a father figure instead of Taka, and he must see Taka as
his father in order for this plan to work.”
“Nyamaza, he already knows Scar wasn’t his father.”
“Whoever actually mated with you is unimportant. What is important
is that he looks up to Taka as his role model, as the lion he wants to
become. From now on Kovu may keep saying he wants to go off alone to
think. Let him, and DON’T follow him. Either he’s meeting with me, or he
is going off alone to think.”
“All right. I’ll let him go.”
“Oh, and from now on, don’t have Nuka watch Kovu. He’s growing up
with all of Scar’s emotions, but none of Taka’s intelligence to direct
them. There is a balance inside him now, keeping him from attacking
Kovu, but that balance is weak. From now on you need to check with me
before carrying out ANY major plan. If you don’t, that balance could
collapse, with at least one of your sons probably dying as a result.”
Zira paused a moment for thought. Yes, she could see how Nuka felt
toward Kovu, and she could remember watching Scar acting much the same
way when he thought no one was looking. “And if Nyamaza feels I could
easily upset the balance, I probably can,” she thought grudgingly. “All
right, I’ll check with you before doing anything.”
“Anything IMPORTANT, Zira. You don’t need to check with me before
you eat, sleep, or do anything else usual. I don’t appreciate my time
being wasted.”
She saw Nyamaza turn to leave and decided to once more ask her
unanswered question. “Nyamaza, when the hyenas left Scar and I found
him, you two were talking. With his dying breath he told me to make Kovu
his heir instead of Nuka. What did you say to him?”
Nyamaza continued to stand with his back to her, but he finally
answered her question. “I told him that if he made Kovu his heir, I
would guarantee Kovu would grow up thinking of him as a father, and that
he would be king upon Simba’s death. I told him I would make no such
guarantee for Nuka. He decided to change heirs and let me insure Kovu’s
kingship.” With that turned around and looked over Zira’s shoulder. “Oh,
hello Simba.”
Zira immediately turned, growling and teeth bared. But Simba was
not there, and neither was Nyamaza when she turned back around. He had
fooled her into looking away, and disappeared when he did. “DON’T DO
THAT!” she called out, and she imagined she could hear Nyamaza laughing
at her from where ever it was he went.
Chapter 4
Simba arrived by the stream a good while before the sun would
reach its peak, hoping to be able to sneak up on Akili for once. He
didn’t know when he’d get another chance, since Akili had actually never
scheduled a meeting before. “OK, stay calm, Simba,” he told himself.
“Don’t let your breathing give you away.” Simba figured Akili would be
hiding somewhere near the clearing he had lead Simba to yesterday, so he
approached that area as quietly as he could, remembering what he had
learned the day before.
After he found the clearing and searched around it, however, there
was no sign of Akili. “Hmmm, must be on his way.” Simba figured he’d
just have to wait quietly and hope to he could hear Akili’s approach.
Suddenly Simba felt himself pinned to the ground as Akili jumped
across him, landing across his back. “Good try, Simba. But if you want
to sneak up on me, you’re going to need to come up with your own tricks.
I know my own too well.”
“All right, all right. Now let me up. I can’t breath with you on
top of me.” Simba felt the pressure on his back lessen as Akili stood
and walked around in front of him. “Now, what did you want to talk
about?” Simba first stood, but then he sat when he saw Akili do so.
“Actually, I figured you’d want to talk after what happened
yesterday.”
“Yeah, I guess I do,” Simba replied, as yesterday’s events, both
during and after their conversation, replayed themselves in his mind.
“So how did you know about Zira and Kovu?”
“I’ve been watching them for a long time, and I simply predicted
their actions. I know what tricks of speech Zira likes to use, and I’ve
learned how Kovu will act under pressure. Predicting what would happen
yesterday was simple.”
“Simple! Kiara could have been killed, and you didn’t even bother
to tell me she was in trouble?”
“Simba, was anyone actually hurt?”
“Well, no, but...”
“Then what are you complaining about?”
“Well, at least you could have told me Zira was around.”
“Simba, I knew Zira was in the area and would be immediately
attracted my your roar, but I didn’t know exactly where she was. If I
had told you she was around, you would have gone off looking for her,
and then she might have found the cubs before you did. One of the things
I decide before I tell you something is whether my telling you will
actually hurt the situation.”
“I thought your job was to keep me informed.”
“I do keep you informed, but sometimes things work out better if
you don’t know what I know.”
“Example?”
Akili shook his head and sighed. “You never take anything on faith
alone. That’s a good attribute in a king, but it can be real bothersome
at times. All right, an example.
“I’m sure you remember those pesky little hyenas that your uncle
was so fond of. The ones that haven’t been seen since you fought them
off at Pride Rock.”
“What, were they on the Pride Lands yesterday too?”
“No, it was actually about a week ago now. I found a scouting
party they had sent to see if the Pride lands were worth trying to
retake.”
Simba was finding it hard to believe his ears. Those mangy
poachers had come back to the Pride Lands, and Akili hadn’t even told
him? What sort of advisor was he? “So what did you do? Just let them
wander onto MY lands without telling me? I could handle a scouting party
without even needing any of the lionesses for support.”
“Yes, you could have handled them. You could have driven them off,
maybe even killed a few of them. But they would have been back, sooner
or later. Maybe moons, maybe a few years, but they would have been back.
The way I handled them, they won’t be back. Not for a long, LONG time.”
“What did you do?”
Again Akili sighed and shook his head. “I had been hoping to ease
you into this, but I see now that is impossible. All right.
“Where do you think I was during your exile? You know I worked for
your father before then, and I am working for you now. But where do you
think I was then?”
Simba thought for a minute, then answered, “You probably followed
the herds away with your wife while the drought and hyenas killed
everything here.”
“No. I stayed here. I did my best to help Taka learn how to be a
king, since he didn’t have any real training. I also was his emissary to
the hyenas, since he had the pride to keep his paws full. I did my best
to keep the hyenas under control, but still kept myself hidden from the
lionesses.”
“Really. You are impressive, but I can’t imagine any hyena
following orders from you.”
“Neither could they at first. I would tell them not to hunt when
they didn’t need the food, but they still did. I would tell them to
leave the lionesses alone, but they still pestered them. That was until
the Zebra Incident.
“A few weeks into the drought food was becoming scarce, and Taka
told me to tell the hyenas that no unnecessary hunting was to be done.
What food still remained within the Pride Lands had to be preserved
until the rains returned. It was one of the smartest orders he ever gave
that I hadn’t first suggested to him. I diligently told the hyenas.
“Their response to my face was obedience, but I knew many would
still hunt just for the thrill. So, like I have had to do for you, I
prepared an example.
“One joyous evening the lionesses made a large kill. Six
wildebeest, enough to fill everyone’s stomach. However, a small herd of
4 zebra had wandered within sight of Pride Rock. I told the hyenas
‘There is a small zebra herd near Pride Rock. Do not attack them.’
“The next day, the zebra were dead. It only took until that night
to discover which hyenas were involved. In the end, six hyenas had
wasted about 2 days worth of food by killing it when we didn’t need it.
I decided I was tired of receiving no respect from the hyenas, and so I
set out to earn it.
“Two days after the herd died, one of the hyenas involved
disappeared. He hadn’t told anyone where he was leaving, and there was
no blood to indicate a fight. He simply disappeared. No one really gave
it much thought, and life continued on as normal.
“When another of the hyenas involved disappeared the same way two
days later, there was much the same reaction. But when the third one
disappeared again two days later, most of the hyenas were starting to
see the pattern. Whenever any of them asked me about them, which many
did because they knew of both my knowledge and my silence, I simply said
it was interesting. When one asked if I didn’t care that my comrades
were disappearing, I simply pointed out that they had never cared for
me, so I didn’t care for them.
“Two days later the fourth disappeared. By now most of the hyenas
felt I was responsible, since only I had the motive to kill the hyenas
and the power and silence needed to do it without anyone noticing. You
can imagine that more than a few stories started springing up as to how
I killed them, not many of which comforted the surviving poachers.
“Again two days later another hyena disappeared, and with him, I
also disappeared. No one, not even Taka knew where I was, though just
about everyone was looking at first. But soon I was no longer the center
of attention. It was Peke, the surviving poacher.
“All that day, and for the next week, Peke didn’t eat and didn’t
sleep. He was constantly looking around wildly, trying to see my
sneaking up on him. He was terrified to be alone, and terrified to be
surrounded so that he couldn’t see if I was coming. Some of the
lionesses thought that he had gone mad, since they knew nothing of the
other missing hyenas. But the other hyenas knew he wasn’t mad, he was
terrified. They saw his every moment being filled with fear, and some
even thought of killing him so to end his terror. But they never got a
chance.” Akili stopped for a moment while he took a deep in and released
a deep breath. Simba implored him to continue.
“Three weeks to the day after the Zebra Incident, Peke
disappeared. No one was surprised that morning, but they were that
night. For when the sun set that day, they heard Peke’s voice carried on
the wind, calling out a single name. ‘Amri!’ That was what I had the
hyenas call me so the lionesses wouldn’t catch on that the same lion the
hyenas talked about was the same lion Taka sometimes muttered about in
his sleep. The entire pack ran in the direction of the voice, hoping to
find their fellow hyena.
“When they did find him, he was barely recognizable. He had been
torn into five pieces, and those pieces had almost no skin left on them.
Most of the assembly quickly turned away, but some of the less hyena-
blood shy noticed that his teeth were covered in blood, even though his
teeth were uphill from his neck. Whoever had killed him had at least one
very bad bite.
“When they returned to Pride Rock, they found me waiting. All kept
their distance, but some with very good sight quickly whispered to the
others that I had a deep bite in my side. My only words to them that
night were ‘There is a small wildebeest herd near the water hole. do not
attack them.’ I then left to find a private place to sleep and recover.”
Simba simply stood in shock for a moment. “Well, were the
wildebeest killed that night?”
Akili waited a moment before answering. “Ever since the Zebra
Incident, all the hyenas live with a great deal of fear toward me. The
wildebeest were still alive the next day, and no hyena since has ever
disobeyed me. Whenever they even think of doing so they remember what I
reduced Peke to before I killed him. And those who aren’t stopped by
that memory remember what I reduced Peke to when I killed him.
“You want to know how I handled the hyena scouting party? I simply
walked up to them, and said I didn’t want to see them or any of their
pack set foot on the Pride Lands ever again. If you had attacked them,
your strength would be what they reported to their leaders, and strength
can be overcome with numbers. What I sent them back with was pure fear
and terror. And against those, numbers mean almost nothing.”
Simba simply stood and stared. Never before had he heard any
creature describe such terror being used as a weapon to hold enemies at
bay. It unnerved him to hear it from someone he had come to respect and
consider a friend. “I see why you wanted to ease me into this. I almost
can’t believe it’s true.”
Akili smiled and said, “Don’t concern yourself. I didn’t enjoy
doing to Peke what I did, but I had to if I was to ever control the
hyenas. Anyway, I can somewhat prove that it’s true very quickly.” He
sank to the ground with eyes closed, while Simba waited to see what he
was doing. in a few minutes Akili rose and looked to the south. “There
is a herd to the south that should do nicely. Follow me, and move as
quietly as you did this morning. You need to stay hidden if you want to
see what I am to show you.” He then started slowly walking south, in
plain view to anyone who looked his way. Simba, however, stayed below
the grass and moved almost silently.
Chapter 5
Akili slowly walked toward the Ngu’ban zebra herd while Simba
followed beneath the grass. Akili himself was impressed at how quietly
Simba was moving, though he had expected little less. The king was
already a good stalker, and the new way to walk he had learned only
improved this quality. The somewhat awkward movement of the paws,
straight up and straight down, prevented rocks and sticks from being
knocked over by accident, and slowed down the walker enough to allow the
surrounding grass to move around him without snapping.
Simba was about to ask Akili why they were approaching a zebra
herd when Akili answered the unspoken question. “You see, Simba,” he
whispered, “during your father’s reign I revealed myself to most of the
major herds. There really was no way to hide my presence from them,
since I was hunting from them whenever I was hungry, and doing so didn’t
hurt my hunting, since they couldn’t tell I was coming any more than you
can. I even helped them out occasionally by telling them when poachers
were in the area. Before the Zebra Incident, this was also a way I tried
to control the hyena’s hunting. The herds came to learn that if they saw
me approaching, it meant one of two things. But quiet now, they mustn’t
notice you’re here.” The zebra’s were still a ways off, but Akili sat
down. “Pay attention, but say nothing. Hello Ngu’ban!” The last he
shouted loud enough for the distant herd to hear.
As Simba watched, the entire herd stopped grazing and looked at
the sitting lion. Then, to his amazement, they walked toward Akili,
though they stopped just within easy talking range. Then a zebra Simba
recognized as Undaka, the leader of this particular herd, approached
until he was roughly between the herd and the lion. “Hello Linda, how do
you approach today?” asked the zebra, with only a hint of apprehension
in his voice.
“Be at ease, old friend. Today I approach as a friend, not a
hunter,” responded Akili, to the visual relief of the herd. “I saw some
leopards a little ways to the north, and I thought you’d like to know.
If you go about an hours trot to the south, they shouldn’t bother you.”
“Thank you Linda.” said Undaka as he turned back toward his herd.
When he reached them, the Ngu’ban started walking off to the south,
which happened to take them past Akili and Simba. When the last of the
zebra were passing, however, an old female stopped for a few seconds by
Akili. “Thank you, Linda. You’ve really been a great help to us over the
years, you know.” she said.
“I guess I have, But the Ngu’ban have been a great help to me as
well over the years as well”
The zebra looked puzzled for a moment, then said with a knowing
smile, “Yes, I guess we have.” She then left, and quickly caught up with
her herd mates. Soon they had gone over a small ridge and were out of
sight, So Simba sat up and looked at Akili.
“Linda? They call you Linda?” Simba asked with combined humor and
confusion. “Zazu calls you Akili, the hyena call you Amri, and now
Linda? How many names do you have?”
“Far more than you’d guess. It’s only the Ngu’ban that calls me
Linda. After all, I don’t want the herds talking about me behind my back
anymore than I wanted the hyenas to talk to Taka about me. With everyone
knowing me by different names, no one can betray that they know about me
by accident. It’s a kind of back up to the promise you made when we
met.”
Simba thought about it for a minute, and he figured that it made
sense. However, another question then surfaced in his mind. “What did
you mean, ‘I approach as a friend, not a hunter?’”
“In my old pride, I was taught many ways to fight and defend
myself against other lions. One attack is called The Snapper. It
involves your opponent lying on his side, with you standing above him.
You hold his shoulder with one paw, and use the other to snap his head
around. It kills instantly, and painlessly.” Akili glanced over his
shoulder in the direction of the zebra. “I usually hunt like any other
lion, but occasionally I will approach them as I did today. I pick out
my prey, and tell them of my decision. I give them time to say goodbye
to their family and friends, and when they are done, I give them a
painless death.”
For the second time that day, Simba looked at his advisor aghast.
“How can you do that to them? It would be cruel to tell them...”
Akili interrupted him. “Simba, if you were going to die today,
would you want to know beforehand so you could say goodbye to Nala and
Kiara?”
Simba thought for a moment as he thought about his family. After a
while he said, “Yes, I would want to have a chance to say goodbye.”
“That’s how most of the herds think.” Akili looked up at the sun
and then back at Simba. “You should probably go. It’s getting into the
afternoon, and you have a day’s worth of duties to catch up on.” He
watched as Simba looked at the sun, quickly hiding when Simba’s back was
turned. Simba looked back and, finding his friend missing, turned back
toward Pride Rock.
Akili sat where he hid, thinking about the day’s events. The story
of the Zebra incident resurfaced in his mind, including all the details
he hadn’t told Simba. He closed his eyes to help the memory be unaltered
by the surrounding savanna.
When the part about Peke replayed itself in Akili’s mind, he
inwardly shuddered. He had never intended to let Peke live as long as he
did, knowing the suffering he was going through. But Peke’s refusal to
sleep meant Akili couldn’t kill him in his sleep as he had done to the
other poachers. The others never saw him coming, and he used The Snapper
to kill them without pain. Eventually Akili found Peke as he tried to
sneak away from the Pride Lands. He then presented himself and offered
Peke a painless death, which he accepted. But before Akili could kill
Peke, Peke took a bite out of Akili’s side.
Suddenly Akili couldn’t control himself. “I offer this poacher an
easy death, and he dares to attack ME!” Akili thought. All the sympathy
he had for Peke turned into anger as his vision turned red with rage. He
looked down at Peke, snarled, and began tearing him apart. Peke cried
out, but Akili couldn’t stop himself or his attack. He only withdrew
when he heard the other hyenas approaching, and then he started running
back to Pride Rock. His vision cleared as the run worked his fury out of
his system. When he reached his destination he cleaned his wound as he
waited for the hyena pack to return.
Akili opened his eyes and, almost as a reflex, looked at his chest
just below his mane. Yes, the scar of that day was still on his body, as
it would be on his heart until the day he died.
Chapter 6
Kovu slowly approached his target, ignoring all other
distractions. Siri’s tail slowly swayed back and forth as he rested in
the sun, apparently oblivious to his impending attack. When Kovu got
within only a few steps of Siri, he knew he’d be noticed if he continued
walking. Instead, he shifted his weight to his back legs and pounced.
Siri didn’t appreciate the sudden impact on his side or Kovu
beginning to nibble on his ear and neck, but Kovu made special
exceptions for himself. “And just what do you think you’re doing, you
little rascal?”
“You said I should be practicing stalking and pouncing every day.
I decided you made yourself an easy target.” Kovu walked up to Siri, who
was now sitting on his forelegs, and rubbed his side against Siri’s leg.
“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked.
“I don’t mind. I just didn’t expect to get woken up that way.”
Siri looked down at Kovu and saw he was troubled under his happy
exterior. “So how have you been? I haven’t seen you in a few days.”
Kovu looked up at his teacher and could feel a slight emptiness
inside himself. “Oh, I’ve been fine. How have you been?”
“Kovu, all I ask is that you never lie to me. All I want is to
help you and be a good friend. How can I be your friend if I can’t trust
you?” Siri could see Kovu felt ashamed of himself. He knew how deeply
Kovu truly loved him and didn’t want their friendship to end. “Is it
family problems? How are things going with your mother and sister?”
“Vitani’s still herself, hanging on mom’s every word and always
ready to practice fighting. Mom’s been talking about Simba all the time
since I met him and Kiara moon ago, but I don’t mind that. Before she
just always talked about Scar and how I needed to train to be king
anyway. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Well, when did you start feeling different?”
Kovu thought for a while, and then responded, “I guess about the
same time, when I met Kiara and Simba and everyone.”
“How did you like Kiara? It must have been interesting to meet
someone your age that wasn’t Vitani?”
“I don’t know. We only got to introduce ourselves before mom and
Simba showed up. I wish I knew more about her.”
“Well, let’s see what we can figure out about her. Describe what
happened.”
“OK. First Nuka was watching me, but I decided to get away from
him for a second. When he went into one of his scratching fits, I hid
behind a tree and waited for him to leave looking for me. When he was
gone I went exploring. After a while Wham!” Kovu jumped to the right,
landing on his side. “Suddenly, a lion cub fell off a log and knocked me
over. I did just like mom had said, growling and making her back off.
Kiara started walking backward and I followed,” Kovu got back up and
stalked and invisible cub, hair standing up on his back. “She started
jumping around and tried to growl back. Mom never said what to do after
growling, so I asked her what she was doing. ‘What are you doing?’” Kovu
said, reenacting how his face twisted when he had questioned Kiara.
“Kovu, you don’t need to quote the entire conversation. Just say
what happened.”
“Sorry” Kovu said sheepishly. “She started talking about her
father and how he said not to turn your back on strangers, so I told her
how independent I am. I guess I wasn’t paying much attention, because
somehow we ended up in the creek. All of a sudden, SNAP! A crocodile
tries to bite Kiara, but I call out a warning beforehand so he misses.
We spend the next couple minutes trying to escape,” Kovu starting
reliving and describing how they had escaped. He summer salted when he
described falling off a crocodile’s back, and climbed up a dead tree he
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anding next to when he described climbing out of the stream.
“After we were out and caught our breath, I noticed we were in the Pride
Lands. We introduced ourselves to each other. She asked me if I knew how
to ‘play,’ I think. I had no idea what she was talking about, but before
I could say so she started practice fighting , you know, jumping around
growling, so I guess that’s what she meant. I started growling when
Simba and mom showed up and started talking. Kiara seemed scared of mom
and surprised by her dad being so angry. I guess that’s just about it.”
“OK, let’s see what we can figure out. She must not get into a lot
of fights, or she would have immediately started growling back when you
met. Since she was surprised be her father being mad, she must not
normally do much to make him mad. And she must have gotten to like you
since she didn’t run off as soon as she was back in the Pride Lands. Do
you like her?”
“I guess so. She seemed nice.” Kovu waited a second before
speaking again. “Siri, why do mom and Simba hate each other so much?
They could barely keep themselves from killing each other when they met.
Do you know?”
Siri laid himself down on his side. He sighed deeply before saying
anything. “It all has to do with what happened a few years ago. Taka was
the king’s brother, and therefore next in line to be king of the Pride.”
Kovu interrupted. “Is that how he got to be king? Then why do we
live out here instead of in the Pride Lands?”
“I’m getting to that. The king had a son, Simba, who became next
in line. Now Taka would never be king, which he had always planned on
becoming. When Mufasa, the king, died, Simba should have become king,
but Scar wanted to become king instead. To do that, Simba would first
have to die. Scar decided to make Simba run away instead, sparing his
life while still achieving his goal. Later Simba came back and wanted to
replace Scar. They fought, and Scar ended up dead. Zira blamed Simba for
Taka’s death, and tried to kill him so you would replace him as king,
being the only male available. She failed and was exiled. Many of the
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