The Lion King III: Tanabi's Return
by Akril
Rafiki: De question is: Whooo . . . are you?
Simba: I . . . I thought I knew . . . now I'm not so sure . . .
Rafiki: Well, I know who you are! You're Tanabi's dad! (Pause) Bye.
Simba: Wait! You knew my son?
Rafiki: Correction. I know your son.
Simba: I hate to tell you this, but . . . my son was killed a long time ago.
Rafiki: Nope! Wrong again! Ha ha! He is alive!
Introduction:
I liked The Lion King and Simba's Pride. Really. In fact, I still do. Thus this Fan Fiction. I felt something was missing in the two movies. The present fan-fics on Lionking.org also aroused my suspicion. The cub held up by Rafiki at the end of TLK was obviously a male. So how did Kiara get in the picture?
I've got news for you: The cub at the end of TLK and the one at the beginning of SP are not the same lion! Hope that got your attention. The cub at the beginning of SP was Kiara (duh), so who was the former? This tale will answer this and many other questions that you may have puzzled over, such as these:
1. Why were the two presentations so darn different?
2. How could Simba carry on the monarchy without a male heir? Without Kovu's stepping in, the Pride Lands would be in jeopardy!
3. Why didn't Simba kill young Kovu when he was given the chance? Perhaps some hard memories of his own son . . . ?
4. Why did Simba really exile the Outlanders? There had to be a deeper and more personal reason, don't you think?
5. Why were Nala's eyes green in the first movie and blue in the second?
6. Why did Mufasa seem so pleased at an Outlander marrying his granddaughter?
7. Why was Simba so overly protective of his daughter (other than the fact that he had a lot of troubles in his cubhood)?
8. Why did Simba's only son vanish, despite his major role in the fan-fics?
9. Why all these questions?
Why? I just want to get your attention, that's all! These questions and more will be mentioned in this story, so Be Prepared, Busa no Xolo, Remember your Pride, and also:
Remember that Tanabi is the One True King.
Good luck.
First, a Few Little Historical Notes:
Simba's father, Mufasa, and his uncle, Taka (often called Scar for reasons that will soon be explained), were born by Queen Akase, mate to King Ahadi. Mufasa was chosen to be king after Ahadi's death because of his strong spirit and his being the first born. Ahadi explained this to his son, mentioning that Taka was weak of body and soul, and therefore was not the rightful heir. After Mufasa convinced Taka to enter a burrow to receive a blessing from a white badger (which he had confused with the legendary white lioness, Minshasa), his brother's eye was clawed out by the protective badger, and was just saved by the mandrill shaman, Makkede, but Taka's eye was scarred for the remainder of his life, thus his cruel nickname. Makkede's son, Rafiki, received a message from the spirits which predicted the betrayal of Mufasa by Taka. The young lions tried not to believe this for obvious reasons.
When he matured, Mufasa wed Sarabi, the daughter of Avina and Shaka. After the deaths of Ahadi and Akase, Sarabi gave birth to Simba and Shanni. Shanni unfortunately perished after her birth. Taka was extremely jealous of his brother and his nephew. His weak spirit allowed many evil entities to enter his mind and manipulate his thoughts. Unable to control his own spirit, Taka killed his own brother and nearly killed his nephew, Simba, much to the horror of those who were close to him, particularly a young lioness named Zira. In order to repay Fabana, a hyena that saved his life when he was an adolescent, Taka rashly allowed her pack to enter the Pridelands.
During the Great Drought that followed Taka's seizing of the throne and the hyena's invasion, Zira admired him because of his ability to keep the lands in order during the difficult time. She eventually wed him, and their love for each other seemed to hold the Pridelands together, despite the unforgiving times.
Shortly before Simba's return, Zira bore Nuka, a scruffy young male who seemed to inherit Taka's weak soul. Before Zira bore her second litter, Taka was confronted by his nephew, who threw him over a precipice, where a hungry pack of hyenas awaited. Zira rushed to his side, overcome with grief. As Taka died, he whispered to his wife to make her next born son his heir. Zira sadly agreed as her mate slowly passed on to join his brother.
After Simba regained his throne and married Nala, his betrothed, Zira gave birth again. This second litter was small, consisting of a light-colored female, whom Zira named Vitani, and a brown male, which she named Kovu, in memory of her beloved Taka. Nuka obviously felt neglected, despite his mother's reassuring words of love.
Several lionesses shared Zira's grief and thus befriended her, for they had also admired Taka's amazing ability to hold the lands together. One of the closest friends of Zira was a lioness named Monah, who had never given birth, and was lonely and longed for a son of her own.
Shortly after Kovu and Vitani were brought into the world, Simba announced that his mate had given birth to two twin cubs, a boy and a girl. Both had golden coats and hazel eyes like their father. The boy was Tanabi, future king of Simba's kingdom. The girl was Kiara, who was destined to be the future queen. Monah grew jealous of the King's gift, even more so when Tanabi was presented by Rafiki. Eventually, Monah's envy came to a point where she could no longer hold it back. She told Zira what she intended to do, and her friend responded with deep concern and pity for her, despite her own troubles.
That evening, Monah crept into the King's cave (an act forbidden to lionesses of her class) and stole Tanabi from his sleeping mother's side, leaving the blood of a gazelle in his place, so as to convince Nala that her son had been killed. Monah then left the Pride Lands with several other lionesses who were loyal to Taka, traveling to a place far from Simba's domains. Upon awakening, Nala discovered Tanabi gone, and she was heartbroken at her great loss. Legend has it that her green eyes turned blue from sorrow and grief.
Simba was furious at his son's murder. To avenge the death, he exiled Zira and all the unorthodox lionesses to the barren Outlands with the accusation that they were all loyal to Taka so as to cover up the tragedy of Tanabi's false death. This event was kept secret (obviously), and shortly after the group left the Pride Lands, Kiara was presented. It was a sacred ceremony, and Simba almost swore that he saw his father's face appear in the clouds. Strangely, it did not appear sorrowful at all over Tanabi's disappearance, only happy for Kiara.
At the same time, many different things were occurring. Monah, far from her king's land, was raising her foster son, teaching him all she knew about the Circle of Life and all that princes are meant to know. In the Outlands, Zira tried to fulfill her mate's dying wish, to have Kovu carry on his legacy. Nuka and Vitani, now older, had crept into the Pride Lands and had seen Kiara being presented, unseen by the King and Queen. The two reported what they had seen to Zira, who smiled contentedly, because, as far as she knew, Simba now had no male heirs to the throne. Her Pride could now easily outnumber his Pride.
Time passed. Kiara, now fully grown, was very reluctant to carry on her father's legacy. Kovu began to understand why his mother wished him to become King. The story of his father's life touched his heart, and he longed to prove himself worthy. His first scheme: to carry away Simba's daughter. After Nuka was killed in an attempt to assassinate Simba, Zira became deeply angry at her son, and feeling Taka's fury, scarred him across the left eye.
Shortly afterwards, Kovu managed to gain the trust of Kiara, although many speculate that was another part in his deceptive plan. In an attempt to put her husband's soul to rest at last, Zira organized an assault on Simba's pride, but instead of giving in after her son called a truce, she committed suicide by falling into a raging river.
Kovu ended up betraying both his pride and Simba's pride, turning his deceased relatives against him. He was accepted as Simba's successor, partially fulfilling Zira's dream. But unknown to anyone, even to the gods, Tanabi, the only true heir to the throne, had grown into a mighty lion, and his stepmother, Monah, knew that he was ready to return home . . .
Chapter One
A few years after Kovu and Kiara were married, Simba began to have second thoughts about his decision. Kovu was constantly late for his lessons on ruling a kingdom, and he was often hanging out with the former Outlanders, who hadn't changed at all from their acceptance. Kiara still refused to carry on after her father, and Simba realized that if this didn't change soon, the lands would be in jeopardy.
"Now, Kovu, you have to understand that your mother was wrong when she wanted you to take over the throne by force . . . "
"Wrong in whose eyes? Anyway, with no males besides you, I figured that I would have to step in."
"I don't trust you, Kovu. That devious nature of yours shouldn't interfere with your position as king."
"You aren't dead yet. Don't worry about me, Simba."
With his nose in the air, Kovu strutted off, down the side of Pride Rock to relax in the Cave of the Commoners, where he still slept, away from the royal cave. When he didn't sleep there, he slumbered by the large rock outside of the cave, where Simba forced him to spend the night by when he was first accepted into the Pride Lands.
Simba still was not convinced, and he asked Nala to help him with his problem.
"Simba, my love, that Kovu has been through much! I mean, the death of his brother, his mother killing herself . . . "
"His father trying to kill me . . . "
"Simba, you've accepted the little rogue, now try to live with him. He claims that Taka wasn't his father. I can believe him. After all, with my Tanabi gone . . . " her blue eyes suddenly grew moist, " . . . he's the only heir you've got."
Simba tried to understand Nala's reassurance, but he still had doubts. Kovu and Kiara would constantly get into arguments, and Kovu once clawed Kiara across the leg, causing Simba to become more protective. He often wondered what his daughter had seen in this dark, scrawny Outlander, chosen to be Taka's heir. Sure, Kovu favored Kiara because she was the princess, but still . . .
Simba stopped his thoughts and pondered: Had Kovu been scheming to carry off his daughter? With Nala's son gone, Kovu obviously had an opportunity. With that deceptive mind of his, Kovu must have had some plan. Simba began to worry for his daughter's life. Was this lion the right one? Father . . . I think I was right the first time . . .
Chapter Two
Things still were not going well at Pride Rock. Kovu and Kiara became less and less of an ideal pairing, and Simba began to grow nervous. He was slowly aging, and he did not want to leave the kingdom in bad hands when he died.
One late afternoon, as Simba stood on the peak of Pride Rock, thinking over what he should do, he heard a roar coming from the south. It was not Kovu. Kovu had never roared like that since he wed Kiara. This was a different lion. Zazu suddenly flew in front of Simba's face, jabbering wildly.
"Sire! There's a whole pride of lions approaching! Being led by an incredibly large male! You must investigate, Sire!"
"Yes, Zazu. Tell the other lionesses to cover me."
Simba descended the rock and sprinted south, the direction the roar had come from. He moved alongside the great river, where Nuka had died in a struggle to assassinate him and where Zira had committed suicide. The golden sun turned the dry grasses of the plains orange, almost the same color as Simba's sweat-stained hide as he continued on, trying to locate the group of lions that Zazu had reported.
Before he had gone far, he was stopped by the male that the bird had mentioned. Nearly twice as large as Simba, with a firmly set jaw and hazel eyes, this mighty feline stood in a dominant yet peaceful position atop a large boulder, looking down at the King of the Pride Lands with an expression that could move even the hardest of hearts. His burning reddish-brown mane blew in the strong wind, shimmering in the now setting sun, creating a halo around the lion's head. Simba shook, realizing that this male looked incredibly like his father.
"My name is Tanabi. I've come home, father."
Simba trembled even more, and tears ran down his muzzle. "But . . . but you were killed . . . killed . . . by . . . "
"By me?" said an unfamiliar voice from behind Tanabi. A dark, lean lioness with flashing eyes stepped out. "Didn't expect to see me again, eh?"
"Monah . . . but . . . .I exiled you . . . "
"Wrong! I just left, your highness. And are the rumors I hear correct? Has my poor friend Zira been killed?"
"Yes . . . "
"Oh . . . " A look of sadness crept over Monah's face. Her ears drooped and a deep sigh escaped her lungs. "My poor friend . . . might've been my sister . . . Well, anyway, your son's not dead, Simba. He's standing right here, check me if I'm wrong."
Tanabi raised his eyes and looked softly at Simba with a mixture of sadness and hope. "I'm back, Dad."
"I . . . I know. Welcome home, Tanabi."
Chapter Three
Nala could hardly believe her son was alive. The last time she had seen him was when he was a suckling at her side with his sister. Kiara also found it hard to believe that her long-lost brother had returned. Tanabi did have many things in common with his sister, but she still found it hard to believe what her father told her. Simba told Kiara what had happened since she and Tanabi were born, and she finally accepted Tanabi as her sibling with rejoicing and tears.
"Tanabi! Where have you been all this time! I didn't even think you were alive! Oh my gosh . . . "
Tanabi embraced his sister and told her about his adventures and what he had learned. Kovu grew envious of his new brother-in-law, and even a little jealous of Kiara's happiness. He discussed his feelings with her one morning, while Tanabi still slept.
"Kiara, I get the impression that you like your brother more than me."
"Kovu, now you know I love Tanabi. But it's . . . shall I say it's sort of a brother-sister thing."
"I don't get it."
"Well, I'll try to explain. You like your sister Vitani, right?"
"Eh . . . not really."
"Well, when you're born with brothers or sisters, you develop sort of an attachment towards them, right?"
Kovu winced, recalling his brother's death. "I'd say mine was sort of a sibling rivalry."
"Oh. I see. I guess you still have a lot to learn, Outlander." Kiara snickered.
"Right. So what about your brother. You gonna marry him?"
"Marry him? Why . . . " Kiara stopped and looked tentatively over Kovu's shoulder. Kovu twisted his head around and saw the silhouette of a male lion on the peak of Pride Rock. The figure slowly turned its head and gazed down at the young pair. The lion's mane was tossed in the gentle wind. After fixing his eyes on Kovu and Kiara for a long time, Tanabi (who was obviously the one being described) turned away and stood atop his throne, looking straight ahead, surveying his future kingdom.
Many amazing events had happened since Simba's son's homecoming. But the most amazing prospect of Tanabi's return was that he was the rightful heir to the throne. After Simba died, he would become king. Tanabi was well aware of this. Monah had told him of his legacy and his fate. In a way, Simba felt grateful to Monah, yet furious that she had kidnapped his only son. The lioness admitted her past mistakes, unlike the late Taka and Zira. So the king reluctantly accepted her and her renegade troop of friends back into the Pride, much to the relief of all the former Outlanders.
Simba was overcome with happiness that his son had returned, yet one thought still lingered in his mind: Why did the gods not tell him that Tanabi was alive? As king, Simba could hear the thoughts of the spirits, but yet, no news of his son's survival had reached him. Could it be that Tanabi's soul was so strong that he could not be detected by the gods? Simba tried to shake off this frightening thought; his son was obviously a powerful one, and he felt relieved that his kingdom was now safe once more.
Chapter Four
Simba and his son were standing on the great precipice of Pride Rock, surveying their kingdom in the light of the setting sun. Most of the time they were silent, but occasionally Tanabi would ply his father with questions about the family, which he would usually answer.
"Father, why did you accept the Outlanders, even after they tried to assassinate you?" Simba turned towards his son and tried to give him a serious look.
"Well, Tanabi, I realized that there were no real differences between us. We are all equal, no?"
"Monah taught me that years ago. I understand, Father."
"Yes," Simba agreed. "I guess I was wrong."
"I'm sorry I couldn't advise you on your choice. I admit some of the lions you re-accepted are a bit different, but this Kovu . . . "
"We can't really have much against him, as he has wed my daughter."
"I know . . . but he stands out from the other Outlanders. He may have joined you, but he is still Taka's heir. I don't trust him."
"I know Zira was raising him to fulfill her husband's wish, but Kovu says that he's his own lion," said Simba. "I'm trying to agree with him on that."
"His soul is weak, Father. It may become penetrated with evil spirits that want him to do what they want. Maybe even his mother's spirit could . . . "
"Please, Tanabi! I have been trying to convince myself that Kovu is benign. Don't shatter my hopes now!"
"But Father, you don't understand! I see things in him that are not right! He could destroy Kiara . . . or even you."
"Tanabi, one of the rules of being a king is not to hold your beliefs too strongly. Try to accept Kovu, despite his ragged shell."
"All right, Dad . . . but I still think you let your death enter this Pride . . . and he won't be going out that easy."
Uneasily, Simba descended the peak of Pride Rock, leaving his son to overlook the kingdom. Many months since his son's return, Simba had experienced many conflicting thoughts about Kovu. Kovu was going to be the next king, but after Tanabi came home, his purpose seemed to deteriorate. Was his son right? Already Tanabi had proven himself above all other common beasts with his noble sense of duty, but still Simba felt unsure about his son, his daughter and Taka's heir.
Decision Time! The way the story goes on from here depends on the reader's feelings for Kovu. It's just a simple choice; you can retrace your steps if you want. Now, make your choice:
1. I like that Kovu! He's his own lion, he isn't anything like Scar! I was hoping he would be king! Long live Kovu and Kiara! If this matches your feelings towards Kovu, just click here.
2. I can't believe that little traitor is even in this Fan-Fic! He doesn't deserve to live! I hope his father strikes him down! Long live Tanabi! If this matches your feelings towards Kovu, click here.