“Your last thoughts as Melmokh will be happy ones.”

“Will it hurt?”

“No. I will make sure it does not.”

"Is happiness anything like pleasure? I know what pleasure feels like, but I can't remember ever feeling happy."

"Happiness is even better than pleasure." Aiheu trotted over to the cistern. There in the mud by the water lay a small lion cub. "Look at her, Melmokh. Look closely. That’s where you will find happiness."

"Is she dead?"

"She has never lived. I made her from the mud. Complete in every good thing except that she lacks a living spirit."

Melmokh looked at his Lord slowly, hope dawning at last. "Mine?"

"Yes. And you will know enough love and happiness in this small body to outweigh a thousand lives as Melmokh."

Melmokh padded over to her. He felt strange. "Oh, isn't she beautiful!"

“She pleases you?”

“Yes, but....”

“But there’s more to it than that?”

“Yes, Lord. I’m not sure what.”

A small coal of happiness inside him began to grow. There was much tinder that had accumulated over many cheerless centuries, and all those buried feelings burst into flame. Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "Is this it? Is this happiness?"

"Yes."

"If I could feel this way, I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. Why not let me go, My Lord? Why kill me now?"

"You are already dying. It is the happiness that is burning away your past. Don't fight it. Let the feeling flow through you. All your pain is burning away."

"Then let it burn! Yes, Lord, let it burn! I want it to burn!" He ran his paw over the small, furry child. “Look at those tiny little paws! And those ears! I never had a mate or a child of my own. Oh, look at that little pink nose!”

The hyena shuddered and his shape began to dissolve into a mist. "Oh gods, I feel so happy! Happy at last! So very...."

Within seconds he completely deresolved, leaving only a golden fog. Aiheu breathed in, capturing the spiritual essence. He then carefully parted the female's jaws and gently breathed into her the breath of life, watching her chest rise, then fall. She gasped and her eyes opened.

Aiheu looked at her with mirth and amusement in his eyes. "Wake up, Shandra!" He smiled and nuzzled her. "Happy birthday, little girl!"

She smiled, yawned, then stretched luxuriously. Rising to take her first steps, she rubbed against Aiheu, then toddled over to Minshasa who lay ready to nurse her. With a friendly paw, Minshasa cuddled her to her milk.

"Well," Minshasa said with a sigh, "There's always room for another."

"No thanks," Mano said. "I just ate."

She smiled wryly. "Oh you are so wicked sometimes!" She jerked her head. "Come over here where I can nuzzle you!"

Mano settled next to her and purred softly, rubbing his face against the sweet comfort of her cheek. Aiheu smiled and raised his paw in blessing. "Daima pendana. Love one another as I have loved you." And so it was that the shadow of the Makei was lifted from the land.

THE END: SHADOW OF THE MAKEI

 This original copyrighted work is based on Walt Disney's feature film, "The Lion King." Elements taken directly from “The Lion King” are the property of The Walt Disney Company. "Shadows of the Makei" is distributed free of charge excepting reasonable distribution costs. Quoting passages from our work, writing original pieces based on our work, or using characters we created is fine as long as you secure prior approval. That begins by sending either of us a copy of the work. Our e-mail addresses are:

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