Brothers Before Blood (Lion King Mufasa Fanfiction)

Chapter 11: Grief

    Mufasa was almost asleep when a wail woke him up. He was on his paws in a moment, but before he could move forward, Uru shot out a paw and yanked him backwards. Mufasa let out a small screech before Uru thrust her paw around his muzzle.

    "Hush! This doesn't concern you," chided Uru as she pulled Mufasa close to her chest and underbelly.

    Mufasa craned his head as Abaku and a few of the lionesses started to flank around Pikra. Mufasa was about to leap from his mother's grasp when Ahadi stepped in front. Mufasa stopped struggling as Ahadi stepped forward. His tail bumped Taka's shoulder and Taka sat up abruptly. He lifted a paw and smoothed his whiskers when he noticed his father stride forward.

    "What's going on," whispered Taka in alarm.

    Mufasa twitched an ear. "I don't know. I think that it's Pikra," he answered when his mother finally released him. He leaned against the edge of the nest with his chin rested on the edge.

    "No! Not my kit! Not my perfect kit," wailed Pikra.

    Authrua! No! Mufasa's mind reeled as he imagined his friend. She was so witty and stubborn and playful. He couldn't imagine his life without her. It would be like loosing Sarabi.

    Taka scrambled from Mufasa's side. Mufasa let out a hiss of alarm, but Taka didn't listen. He forced himself forward and crept between some of the lionesses. He noticed Authrua laying in her nest, completely still. Her eyes were open, but they were blank. Her chest didn't move and her eyes were emotionless as she stared straight ahead at Taka.

    "No!" Pikra shook with grief as she turned her head to the sky. "Why would you take her away from me?! What did I do to deserve this!"

    Abaku crept forward and touched his nose to her cheek. "I doesn't work that way, Pikra. They don't take kits to be cruel."

    "Then what do you call it," reported Pikra loudly, slightly spitting in rage.

    Abaku drew backwards without another word. He turned to look at Arvarni and Jayris. "Can you take her into the middle of Pride Rock. We need to prepare her for burial."

    Arvarni dipped her head while Jayris pushed herself forward. She stepped over Taka as he ducked down even more. His ears pinned against his head while he saw Jayris pick her up by the scruff and set her on Arvarni's back. Jayris pressed against her flank and helped carry some of the weight.

    Taka crept forward before Dorvro stretched out a paw to halt him. "Perhaps you should let them grieve, little one," she suggested.

    "But, Authrua was my friend," he argued as he pulled himself from her grasp. He leaped over her paw and bounded forward. He headed into the cool air and he fluffed his fur up to warm himself. He shuddered before he continued over to the rest of the lions that clustered around Authrua.

    He tiptoed forward as Pikra darted forward and nearly trampled him. She arched her neck and pressed her nose against her daughter's cheek. "She's so cold," gasped Pikra. She lifted her head and glanced back over to Abaku. "Can't you warn her up or give her some herbs? Something?!"

    "There's nothing more that I can do for her," confessed Abaku as he sat back on his haunches. He glanced upward to the stars. "She's in the paws of the ancestors."

    Taka gazed up at the sky with Abaku. I can't see anything. How do we even know that they're up there?!

    He felt someone sit beside him and he turned his head to see Drovro sitting beside him. The lioness bowed her head and nuzzled Taka's ear. "You should come back and get some rest."

    "She was my friend," rasped Taka as he stared at her dead body. "We were playing just a day or so ago. She was hungry, but she wasn't dead!"

    "These things can come up suddenly. Hunger Sickness is not something to joke about," confessed Drovro with a deep sigh. "She won't have anymore pain in this life. She'll look down on you from the stars and she'll truly be at peace."

    Taka felt tears leap into his eyes. I don't want her to be at peace! I want her to be with me, he wanted to scream. He swallowed thickly.

    Drovro sighed heavily as she wrapped a paw around his shoulders. "Death is all around us. You'll learn that as you get older."

    "And how would you know," flashed Taka with his teeth bared.

    Drovro leaned slightly back, but didn't release her paw from Taka's shoulder. "I lost all three of my cubs before they were old enough to venture out of Pride Rock. Some lionesses aren't meant to have cubs," she meowed darkly with her head bowed and eyes flashing. "I hope you will never know that loss!"

    Taka didn't have anything to say. He gulped heavily before he glanced up at her. "Is it okay if I say goodbye to her," he requested.

    Drovro thought for a moment before she nodded slowly. "Be quick and quiet about it. We don't need to cause Pikra anymore grief."

    She lowered her paw from Taka's body. Taka shook his flank before he padded forward. He slunk past Pikra, who was being comforted by Lilvina. The lioness let out a few shrieks and moans intermittent with her daughter's name. Taka plastered his ears against his head so that he didn't need to hear her cries.

    He stopped by Authrua's side. He lowered down and tried to catch her eye. He tiled his head when he realized that her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping. "Authrua, can you hear me?"

    He received no answer.

    "I hear that you're going to join the ancestors. That's pretty cool." He gulped as he felt a shiver of cold rush over him. "I'm really going to miss you. I promise that I'll look over Sarabi for you. I'm going to miss you."

    With that he drew backwards with his head lifted. He scurried back over to Drovro. She lifted her paw as Taka ducked under it once more. He arched his back and breathed heavily, his eyes blinking back the grief and sleep that tugged at his fur.

    "I'm afraid this is the beginning of a trying time," Drovro announced. "We will have to be strong to survive!"

    Apparently Authrua wasn't.