Brothers Before Blood (Lion King Mufasa Fanfiction)

Chapter 24: Save Me

It took almost the entire pride to haul Mufasa to the top of Pride Rock. They then carried him into the cave and then to the back where Abaku slept. It was almost a separate area that Abaku and sometimes Rafiki practiced different herbal remedies.

"Bring him in here and then I only want Sarabi and Maraan in with me, understand," growled Abaku as Sourown, Churry, and Jayris carried him forward. Marfia comforte Uru as she sobbed into the elderly lioness's shoulder in fear for her son.

Sarabi stalled at her mouth went dry. "Why me," she whimpered.

"Because I may need him to fight and you're the best leeway I have," answered Abaku dismissively as he darted forward. "Someone go and find Rafiki!"

"I'll do it," offered Arvani as she darted down the rockface of Pride Rock. She was so swift that Sarabi didn't even notice that she left.

"Sarabi!"

Sarabi was jolted by Abaku's call. She looked down and realized that she had stopped walking. She shook her head to clear it as she continued forward with her paws barely touching the ground as she did so. She made her way into Abaku's part of Pride Rock while the rest of the lionesses left. The only one that remained was Maraan.

Abaku looked up and spoke to Maraan. "I need you to get me some poppy seeds and thyme if you can find it. I think that we have some as well. Mash it with the fruit that is by the furthest most cleft. Can you do that?"

Maraan turned and padded forward, her swollen underbelly swinging around as she walked backwards. Sarabi tilted her head in surprise. "I don't-"

"Maraan is deaf, she's not stupid. She knows what you're saying if she can see you speaking. I think that she can read lips or something," Abaku confessed quickly as he pushed Mufasa on his underbelly and started to part his mane to reveal the passive bump on his head.

Sarabi gulped as she padded over to him. "What's wrong with him?"

"I've seen this happen to another lion before. He hit his head when climbing a tree. He didn't die right away, but something happened inside of his head that caused him to die later. I hope that we can get the swelling down," Abaku explained fearfully.

Sarabi drew forward. She pressed her nose to his cheek and felt him breathing heavily. He was also warm to the touch. "Can you save him?"

"I'll do my best," Abaku announced Maraan returned. She set down some seeds, leaves, and stalks at Abaku's paws. She rolled a fruit forward while Abaku nodded his appreciation to her.

Sarabi watched intently as Abaku mashed everything that Maraan had brought into the fruit. He then picked up the fruit and tore a small piece of it off. He nodded to Sarabi. "Peel open his mouth so that I can place this in. Then clamp it down while I massage his throat to get him to swallow. It's not pleasant, but effective. Can you do that for me?"

"I can do it," Sarabi rasped as she felt her throat seem to close up.

Once Abaku nodded to her, Sarabi fished her paw forward and pulled at Mufasa's upper jaw. Once she did so, Abaku thrust the fruit into it. Sarabi shut his mouth while Abaku rubbed at his throat ruthlessly. Mufasa gagged harshly for a moment before he finally managed to swallow.

Abaku let out a breath of relief. "Good job, my prince. If you continue to fight this, then I will continue to fight with you. I'm not going to let you die like Abackuk!"

Sarabi didn't press about who Abaku was talking about. She shook her head to clear it when she noticed Abaku coming toward her. "Do you know what happened, Sarabi?"

    Sarabi felt her stomach clench. She gulped heavily as she looked to her paws. She lifted her claw and rubbed it against her other paw's claw. "I don't-"

    "Sarabi, please," began Abaku. He stood in front of her with his eyes meeting hers. I need to know what happened, even if it was an accident. Please, Sarabi."

    Sarabi let out a heavy sigh and gritted her teeth together. "You won't tell anyone, will you," requested Sarabi in a low voice.

    "I will keep this confidentially for as long as I can. However, if someone attacked him and Ahadi starts to press when he comes back, I won't be able to lie," confessed Abaku. He stretched out his long tail and rested it on Mufasa's shoulder. "You owe him that much, little one."

    Sarabi dipped her head. "Alright. Look, I don't know everything, but it had something to do with Taka. I don't know if it was a game gone wrong or something else, but I just know that it involved him. Please don't say anything! I don't want to cause anymore trouble," she rambled.

    Abaku opened his mouth to answer when a roar drew their attention. Sarabi flinched as Ahadi stormed forward. He shook his head mane as he arrived into Abaku's face. He looked down to his son in grief as he nearly crumpled at his side. "No," he wailed.

    "Hush," chided Abaku as he charged forward. He only shoved his shoulder against Ahadi's chest to stop him from coming any closer. "You're not helping anyone by being here."

    "And you are," challenged Ahadi in hostility.

    "Actually, he is," replied Sarabi before she even realized that she was talking. She gulped as Ahadi spun around to face her with his eyes cold and malice. "He's trying at least help Mufasa. You causing him more stress won't help him right now. You need to be calm and maybe you should comfort your mate."

    I can't believe that I just said that! Did I really just say that, Sarabi fretted as she struggled to meet her king's gaze. "I'm sorry, sir. I just-"

    "She's right," interrupted Abaku once he found his footing. "Now, you need to be with Uru."

    Ahadi narrowed his eyes and let out a billowing sigh through his nose. "Very well. Take good care of my son," he growled. He turned with his ears pinned against his head.

    Sarabi let out a low breath of relief. She glanced over to Abaku, who's whiskers were twitching in amusement. Sarabi narrowed her eyes. "Stop it!"

    "I can't believe that you said that to him," exclaimed Abaku as Maraan nodded vigorously.

    "Do you two need anything else from me," Sarabi asked, although her whiskers twitched in amusement as well. It wasn't funny when it happened, but I did just put the king of the Pride Lands in his place.

    Abaku motioned to Mufasa. He rested his nose against Mufasa's forehead before he drew back and shook out his flank. "How about you stay with him for the night? I think that Mufasa would appreciate that if he was awake," Abaku pointed out.

    Sarabi opened her mouth to argue it before she quickly clamped it shut. She nodded as she lowered down to his level. She pressed against him gingerly, expecting him to wake up. When he didn't, she pressed a little more into him and felt his breathing seem to even out.

    "I'll wake you up if anything changes," Abaku whispered in her ear as he licked her ear.

    Sarabi let out a low murmur as thoughts of fear clouded her thoughts and alluded to sleep.