We Are One

Timira sat down in the shallows of the watering hole, the light of fireflies surrounding her like a halo, and beckoned Chaka to her. He watched her warily as he moved out towards her, hating the feel of water against his skin and fur. He sat down heavily near the dark lioness, distaste evident on his face. She moved closer to the prince. Look at our reflections. What do you see? she asked him.

He scowled. Our reflections.

Don't be so literal. She moved still closer, her face next to his. Look harder -- what do you see?

Chaka furrowed his brow as he studied the images in the water, trying to discern her meaning. But all he could see was two lions with their heads together. Our. Re. Flec. Tions, he said, putting annoyed emphasis on the words.

Timira smiled as she glanced at his face. Yes, but this close to each other, with our faces touching, the water distorts us -- we look like two lions with one face.

So? Chaka said, growing bored. This was stupid.

So, it's like Simba -- your father -- always says: We are One.

Chaka looked at her dubiously. We are one? What kind of nonsense is that? It makes no sense.

Explaining as she would to a child, Timira said, It means that even though we look different, have different pasts, or were taught different things, we are both still lions. Everything else? Just the circumstances that make us who we are, that make us unique. But we are both the same, at the core, at the heart -- where it matters.

Chaka pulled back from her, frowning. Her words touched something, some spark within him, but they also hurt. They dug into painful closed over wounds, scars that could not be seen by the eyes. He snorted as he stood and moved off, water dripping in his wake. You don't know anything. You're just a silly lioness with even sillier ideas. You know nothing of real life, just fantasy and dreams.

Timira watched him go, eyes sad. She could feel his pain, his confusion, his torment. She could feel it -- feel it, but could never touch it or heal it.

Her tears splashed into the water, tears because she knew deep down that she could not save him, and the ripples they caused raced out to meet the ripples from his movements...

...and became One.