Spirits in the Stars

It was two weeks after the arrival of Sarabi and Sarafina that Ahadi roused both his sons one night. Taka opened his eyes to peer up at his father, wondering what was going on. Ahadi didn't speak as he turned his attention to judging the golden cub that was snoring against Uru's flank. Taka poked his brother in the tummy and Muffy opened his eyes with a grunt. "Come, there's something I need to tell you." Ahadi said as he turned to the entrance of the cave, pausing to glance over at Zira who was peering out from between her mother's frown paws, her red eyes blinking sleepily. "You can come too," he told the small striped cub. Zira looked up at her mother for permission which Erevu gave by a nod, although the three royal cubs noticed that their mothers had exchanged a knowing look. What was going to happen, they didn't know, but all three cubs got up to follow the king.

Ahadi led the cubs onto the savanna which was fairly empty as the herds had settled down to sleep. A few were still awake, but they didn't give the lions much thought. Mufasa, Taka, and Zira moved closer to the King, wary of being out in the dark even though there was a huge white moon and billions of starts. The small party came to a stop on top of a grassy hill. Ahadi lying down while his sons sat on either side of him, Zira sat down beside Taka. For a while there was silence as the three cubs looked around, waiting for the King to speak. But Ahadi was still quiet for a while longer, then finally he spoke. "When I was your age, and Erevu too." Ahadi added with a glance to his niece. "Our parents brought us to this very spot." Muffy's eyes were wide in awe and Taka lifted a paw to look under it, as if expecting to see anything to make it special. "Look at the stars," Ahadi continued, lifted his two-toned gaze to the sky and all three cubs lifted their heads to stare at the small twinkling lights above their heads. "Up there is the Kings and Queens of the past," the lion explained. "They have left their physical bodies behind, but their spirits watch over us and guide us.

"Is Grandma up there?"

"Yes your grandfather too. He is that star right there."

Taka looked to where Ahadi was pointing and blinked at the sight of the star that seem to be brighter than many of the others. "Do they miss us?" he asked in a little voice. Ahadi nodded. "They miss us as much as we miss them. But be there for you, when in doubt, just look to the stars."

Zira listened to Ahadi in her usual silence, but her eyes were fixed on the stars and she was wondering. Was her father up there as well? Her mother had said that he died before her birth, but Tatu had described him a grim and strict lion who was often grumpy. Did all lions become stars when they died? Or only good lions? Zira wanted to know, but she was too nervous to ask.

Uru sat on another hill, watching the lion and cubs with warm eyes. She was too far to hear what was being said, but she didn't mind. As the cubs lifted their gaze to peer at the sky, Uru lifted her gaze as well. Amongst the net of twinkling stars, she saw the seven small stars that she felt were the spirits of her lost cubs. "Goodnight my little ones." She said with a smile, then turned to return home.