The Lion King 4 - Tarew's Story

It all starts with one wish

The sun began to set and left streaks of crimson red in the sky. It turned green shrubs and Acacia trees into a dark amber and cast long shadows around the Pridelands. By the watering hole, a baby elephant sat waiting for her mother to finish drinking, her ears perched on one side. She tilted her head upwards and her eyes filled with the sight of millions of stars. She gazed at each one in awe, wondering what every single one meant. A wise king had once said that each star was a past king and that they were watching over their homelands with pride. She believed every single word of it to be true, and if there really were kings up there, then she willed them to watch over her and her mother as they slept, keeping them from harm.

Faraway, a young lion was leaning out of a hole in the wall at the peak of Pride Rock making a similar wish to the one the female elephant had just made, except his wish was one he had been dreaming would come true for his entire life. He crossed his two front claws on his right paw and lifted his head to stare at the sky. His eyes found one star in particular, brighter than the rest. It was looking at this star that he concentrated all his attention on the wish he was about to recite. Blinking once, he opened his mouth and whispered...

"Uru? Ahadi?" A soft breeze blew from the west, making his whiskers sway from left to right. "Look, I need help with something. Just one thing, then I won't be bothering you any longer. I promise.." A few seconds of silence passed, then the wind blew again, stronger this time." I'm not sure that I can take it any longer... I feel like screaming every time I see anyone,  sometimes I do, just... quietly.  You've been watching over me right? Surely even from up there, you can see that I'm unhappy like I have been my entire life. 

"All I'm asking for is  cover, anything that will hide me away so no lion spots me running off beyond the Outlands." He closed his eyes and allowed his ears to flop down beside his head. "I have to go, if I stay any longer then I will be driven into actual lunacy, and anyway," The soft expression on his face hardened to a look of resentment," It's not like Kiara cares." he spat the name as if a foul taste had reached his throat. "She's too busy playing with that foreign cub, and he isn't even from the Pridelands! It's thanks to him that she's forgotten all about her brother, and mum forgot I existed too, she's too busy with the baby... I think she decided to call it Kion or something? I overheard the name while dad was yelling at me, yet again for no reason. If I'm honest I don't think any of them will miss me very much, whats better is the baby won't even know he had a brother, I'll be long gone by the time he finds out. The only problem is, well... never mind." 

The small lion allowed a tiny smile to creep onto his face as he opened his eyes to the sight of a sky full of stars. The sight of them filled his defeated spirit with the smallest strand of hope. If he somehow managed to escape the Pridelands, would he even be able to survive on his own in the wilderness? Surely there would be Vultures or African Wild Dogs on the prowl, would he be able to get away without a scratch? He couldn't outrun them, that was a fact, but whatever was out there, he was confident it was better than staying here.

Slowly he got up and began walking towards his final stay in Pride Rock. His movements were slow, but he kept going. He was determined to leave, even if he did get killed in the process. Knowing this, he gave his last swift glance at the late light rays of the setting sun and smiled once more. Casting his eyes back over to Pride Rock, he began his long saunter back to the den.