AN: This story is not my idea originally. It actually came about from a chapter update for my fan-fic, the Spirit of Life. The first review I got for chapter 3 was not actually a review (so you won't see it), but a request for this. This is the request:
Hey, can you write a long Simba and Kiara fanfic?
I love Kiara but didn't like how cold she was to Simba when he exiled Kovu in
order to protect her and his family. Kovu was there to proclaim his throne,
what else was he supposed to do? Lie there and let him? Kiara needed to grow
up instead of shouting at her father. Maybe, in my request, you can have Simba
also fight back and say something after the stupid Mufasa insult? Peace needed
to come before any resolving could be made. She needed to accept her guilt.
To me, it just seemed way too easy.
OK, why not? I shall take on this request. Except that by the time I will publish the first chapter, the requester will probably forget. I blame my bad updating habits. I will try to stick to canon as far as I can (which means that there will be no sudden remarks back), but I will try to fulfill the request fully.
1. I normally do human stories, even for the Lion King, so this is a challenge for me, because it is not in my comfort zone. Humans might make a special appearance indirectly. (They won't come in the physical sense. More of an easter egg for those who will figure it out. And only maybe. No guarantees. Leaning on leaving them out completely).
Chapter One: You Are Not Mufasa
"Why does life have to end up like this? Everything can g so right up to a point, then out of nowhere, it turns its back on you."
"It's telling you something. Something is not right."
"Can you get any more specific? I only do things if they are the right thing to do."
"Just because something is the right thing to do, should you still do it?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I want to do it?"
"The answer is simple. What you might consider right, another might consider wrong. And to make it worse, you might not even have a way to tell who is correct."
"Then what should I do? How do I know when I am mistaking something?"
"That's what your instincts are for."
"They got me into this mess."
"I don't think so. I know you. Your instincts will get you out of this mess."
"And what if they don't?"
"Everyone must learn from a mistake. In order to do that, you first need to make a mistake."
"Thanks. Now you are really starting to make me feel better. Got any more useful advice?"
"Yes. Get some rest. Relax. You will be able to think more clearly. And if not, your instincts will be more clear. You are clouded now. You can't operate in thick fog."
"You will never be Mufasa!"
The words sprang out from Kiara's mouth like thunder. No way to prepare for them, not for the pure motion that fueled their strength. Simba stopped open-mouthed in shock and horror as Kiara ran of inside the den in tears.
For a long time, Simba was just able to stand there, Kiara's words still echoing in his head. All he ever wanted to be was to live as a great father that Mufasa was. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the other lionesses leave Pride Rock. Only he and Nala remained, not that he noticed.
Nala looked at her mate's shock ridden face and the den entrance where Kiara was last, wondering who she should go to help. Deciding that Kiara needed some time alone, Nala slowly approached Simba. He didn't acknowledge her in any way. Not even when she went right up to his face.
"Simba..." She said , worried. His eyes were out of focus, he was in another place. "Talk to me, please. Kiara didn't mean what she said. Simba?" Simba was not listening. Instead he was quietly muttering random snapshots of his racing mind.
"Of course I am... but is she... Kovu can't.. he..." Simba stopped suddenly. His eyes focused on Nala's worried face just inches from his. "Nala," he said casually, as though he met her on a normal day. "I didn't notice you were here." He added.
Nala frowned. Simba wasn't behaving right. "I was here the entire time. You were the one who didn't notice me," she said, irritation creeping into her voice. But that quickly changed into concern. "I know what Kiara said troubles you. But know that she is simply mad at you. She acted upon emotion. I doubt that she honestly believes what she said." She gently rubbed her head on his. "I know that you are worried. But give it time. It will get better. Kiara will get over it. And so will you."
Simba then shook her head of his. "I want to know the truth." He said sternly. "Do you think Kiara is right? That I will never be like dad was?"
Nala knew the answer immediately. She had time to think about it as she waited for Simba to come to his senses. "No, Simba, you are not Mufasa," She said. He stepped back, eyes widening in fear. But Nala grinned. "You're Simba. Not your dad. Let him guide you. But don't be him. I don't want you to be Mufasa. I believe that you are a great king. You brought these lands back to life after Scar. You kept the Outsiders at bay. Even now they still wait to attack."
Simba relaxed a little. His breathing eased up as it slowed down. He lowered his head in relief. He then looked up at the orange evening sky, still too light for the stars. "I will never be like him?" He asked.
Nala shook her head. "Why should you be? You didn't live his life, and he didn't live yours. I married you, Simba. Not your father. He never experienced Hakuna Matata." Simba smiled slightly at the mention of Timon and Pumbaa's lifestyle hew grew up under. "You did. I would say that it brought a fresh life to the monotonous task of being King. Ease up, Simba. Every family goes through trouble at one point or another. Just walk your way through it, head tall and proud. Knowing that you are you. Not your father. Definitely not your uncle. You're a great king, Simba," Nala finished.
Simba pondered her words. He knew that she was telling the truth. That he was good at. And with Nala, he almost always knew what she was thinking just by looking at her, just as she can do to him. He looked at the den. He never noticed Kiara leave, so she must still be inside. "When should we go and talk to her?" he asked.
Nala looked at the den entrance slightly worried. "Give her some time. I'm sure that she will feel much better by tomorrow morning." She smiled lightly, glad that the old Simba was slowly but surely coming back. "How do you feel about a nice evening stroll?" She asked.
Simba thought for a moment. "Well..." he was trying to stall. He still wasn't in the mood for a walk. Nala simply nudged her head to follow her, slowly walking towards the path off of Pride Rock. He spotted Timon and Pumbaa near the edge of the rock. "You two, come here," he said just loudly enough for them to hear.
He waited for them to come over to him before talking again. "I want you to guard the den entrance... Don't go inside... Just don't let anyone enter or leave."
Timon nodded understandingly. "Sure thing, Simba. You can count on us." he said with a voice of authority, a bit too loud for Simba's liking. Pumbaa made a serious face in acknowledgment. Timon looked up at Simba. "You're going to be okay, buddy?" he asked.
Simba looked away briefly. "Yeah," he said, "I'll be fine. Just need to think things over a bit. Get a clear perspective. Relax. Hakuna Matata, right?" His smile briefly appeared again as he said the last sentence.
Timon laughed a little. "I thought we left Hakuna Matata in the past." he said.
"Then why do you keep mentioning it?" Asked Pumbaa.
Timon grunted and placed his hands on his friend's nose. "Because you can never leave Hakuna Matata," he explained. "It goes wherever you go."
Simba smiled again a little at his friend's remarks. Even in the worse of times, the two can never end but to amuse. Leaving the two behind to watch over the den, he followed Nala down the slopes off Pride Rock.
When they got to the bottom, the two walked slowly together through the savanna, letting the last of the sun gradually fade and be replaced by stars. The wind gently blew through the grass, forming waves of moving blades only separated by the occasional tree or animal.
Simba decided to ask Nala finally about a nagging feeling he had. "Nala," he said quietly, Nala made a small noise to show that she heard him. "What you said back there? Did you really mean it? That while I will never be like my dad, you take it as a good thing?"
Nala smiled, her eyes closed as the two stopped for a moment. "I meant every word I said," she replied. "If you ever become just like your dad, well I just might have to go and leave you for some other lion. I want you and only you. Not someone else. When you were gone, in the jungle, I always hoped that one day, you will return in some form. I didn't want to admit that you died. And after a while, I sometimes even felt as if it were true. That you were living somewhere else."
Simba looked away guiltily, not wanting to imagine how Nala must have felt like. Nala noticed and rubbered her head against his.
"When found you in the Jungle, it was the happiest moment in my life." She said. "And remember what happened afterwards?"
"The waterfall?" Asked Simba.
Nala shook her head. " A bit later than that," she said, waiting.
Simba thought. "No, I don't remember anything after that. I met Rafiki and he hit me over the head, also letting me realize that I needed to return here."
Nala playfully flipped Simba on the ground with her move. "Then that only goes to show my point," she told Simba's confused face. "We argued, remember?"
Simba thought again. "Oh, yeah, now I remember. I still thought that I was the one who killed dad." he replied dreamily, but Nala detected a hint of sadness in his voice. "Not Scar." He added, sounding as though he was trying again to prove to himself that he was not responsible. For a brief moment, Nala wondered how Simba managed to survive believing that he murdered his beloved father. She made a mental not to thank Timon and Pumbaa. Without them, there would not have been a Simba, she thought.
To bring themselves back on topic, Nala explained her reason for mentioning their first argument after the year or so that Simba lived in the jungle. Nala looked into Simba's eyes, looking at her reflection off of his hazel eyes. "You just proved my point," she said, "If you truly care for each other, you will forget the arguments, and remember the good times together. And the same will be with Kiara. I know it will, just you wait." With that, she hopped off Simba and let him get up again, who was smiling in understanding.
"How did I ever make it through without you in the jungle?" He asked her. "I don't think that even Rafiki could have said it better."
Both Simba and Nala looked up at the now dark blue night sky and observed the stars in silence. They twinkled like they always do. Simba followed one particular one which lazily traveled across the sky in a long curve.
"Hey, look at that star, Nala," Simba said, motioning his head at the moving star. "Looks like a king of the past has a message they want to tell another," he paused, frowning, "what would dad think of this situation?" He muttered softly.
Nala tore her eyes off the night sky. "Don't worry about it," she said. "All will be fine in good time." The edge of the sky was slowly getting covered by dark clouds.
A gentle wind blew a few fallen leaves a bit closer to Pride Rock. Simba looked down when the touched on of his paws. He then turned towards the dark outline of their home. "I guess we better head back now," he said. He then noticed the clouds. "I don't think it will be a good idea to stay out for a long time."
He slowly lead Nala to the top of Pride Rock. He heard Timon and Pumbaa in a heated argument about grubs. It was their favorite argument. He grinned a little when he realized that he long ago lost count on how many times they failed to reach a conclusion.
When Simba and Nala got within view of the den, Timon and Pumbaa imminently snapped into attention in a show of guarding the entrance. Simba smiled a little at his friends' action.
"Is she still inside?" He asked quietly when he got close to them.
Timon shook his head. "No one got in, or out." Pumbaa nodded in agreement. But Timon turned serious. "She was very quiet. I don't know what she is doing, but there is no noise from the inside, and we didn't go in like you told us to, so..." he slowly trailed off.
Simba smiled again. "That's not your problem. Thanks. You can go and get some rest now."
Timon and Pumbaa gladly started to walk down to the edge of Pride Rock, most likely to search for some grub. As they passed Nala, she lowered her head to their level. "Thank you," she almost whispered. "For everything."
As Nala joined Simba, she left Timon and Pumbaa looking baffled and grinning at the compliment. Simba looked at the two's faces and at Nala, who looked like she removed a heavy burden. "What did you tell them?" He asked.
Nala turned into the den. "Something I should have told them a long time ago." She answered like she was somewhere else.
Simba looked confused. "Really? Huh, and what did you need to tell them for a long time?" But Nala didn't reply. She had already gone inside the den. Shrugging, he followed her inside, hoping that Kiara felt better enough not to start a fight again with them. He was still hoping when he walked into Nala.
"Where's Kiara?" She asked. Simba looked around. She wasn't inside. Strange. Timon and Pumbaa told him no one left, and they wouldn't lie to him.
"No..." He breathed out. That means that she must have snuck out. But how? A gentle wind that he wasn't used to moved through the den. Why did it feel weird? He realized. It was moving n the wrong direction. Towards the entrance, not from it. He followed it until he came up to the den wall. And the hole in it just big enough for a small lioness to slip through. "She left-" he whispered. Once again, he felt terrible.
Nala came over. "We need to go and find her. But we don't know where she went, and..." her worried tone drifted off into silence.
Simba then stood up straight. "Let's go and find her. The longer we wait, the farther away she can be." He quickly left the den, Nala in tow. Once outside, he spotted Zazu. His spirits lifted a bit. Zazu can search for Kiara much quicker and better than they can. But then he noticed the bird's frantic expression. "Zazu, what's wrong?" He asked immediately.
Zazu didn't even bother to land to deliver the news. "Outsiders! On the attack. This is war! It's war!"
Simba looked at Nala. She knew right away that if they did not defend the Pridelands, they could lose more than just Kiara. She nodded her head solemnly.
Simba turned back to Zazu. "Kiara's gone. I need you to look for her. I'll rally the lionesses." He hoped that Kiara can be found before the outsiders get to her. But somehow, he knew that she would come back. Just as he did after life in the jungle. And Nala when she found him. The land was in their blood. It wasn't even the first time Kiara left the Pridelands. And it always ended the same way.
She always came back.
AN: Well, here is my first chapter. Not much Kiara in it (Only 1 short paragraph) , but she will appear in the later chapters. Might only be one extra, though. I have no idea how long I can extend it. Let me know how you like it, but I hope that you liked it.
I know I said that I will try to stick to the original plot of the movie, but I realized too late that a lot would have needed to be changed in order to be fit, so I made my own thing with this. Not to sound insulting (and I definitely don't want to sound arrogant), but I actually like this better than what was in the movie. It's longer and ,ore developed, and I don't feel like I was the one who came up with this. It feels quite awesome, not because I wrote it, but because it is new. To me. I can read it and still be surprised. Well, there aren't any surprises here, but what I am trying to say is that it feels new to me.
So, thank you, the person who sent me this request. (I have your account name, but I choose not to reveal it without your permission). I am actually grateful for it. I wrote something new, and it amazed me. Thank you. I hope you and everyone who read this get a similar reaction.
This chapter doesn't have any brakes, because it is one big continuous thing. I like this because as much as I find them sometimes necessary, (which is why I use them), but I don't really like to use them. I consider it as a kind of personal accomplishment that I manged not to use any breaks in this. Okay, fine, to be technical, I did use one to separate the author's note from the actually story, but that doesn't count.
My only regret is that I did not create this sooner, but it might have gotten out worse.