Sorry if you wanted to find out whom the lioness is, since this is not the chapter! Yet. I promise it will be soon, but I won't tell you when. Just keep guessing, it will happen someday. I'm also sorry for my lack of updates, but school, and science fair, and report cards. Not much time to do so. I also don't want to write a long paragraph about what happened last time, so here goes: evil lioness that wants to kill everyone, strange two new lions, Kovu and Kiara fight, Kiara finds strange lions and brings them to pride rock. The end. So now please enjoy the chapter I managed to squeeze with the little time I have.
'To Reviewers' note at the end of the chapter!
Come
"Go there, and come closer. Sit. Behave. Stay. Bite."
Nala had given up. They had checked for her everywhere, but Kiara was nowhere to be seen. They had searched in the south, west, north, east sides of the Prides Lands, but she had not been found.
"Maybe she returned while we were away…?" suggested Vitani, who as out of breath after running under the burning African sun. Probably, but not likely, thought she. Nala shook her head. All lionesses were exhausted after searching. Nala was hysterical.
Spottie approached them looking in the direction ahead before adding, "Simba and Kovu are heading this way."
Nala didn't know what to expect. Simba will probably die of a heart attack one of these days. Kiara and Simba are just the same. Stubborn as a yak.
She watched as the manes grew larger until both lions were perfectly visible. Simba, at the immediate sight of all the lionesses together, and out of breath, came running with a questioning gaze. Kovu didn't stay behind.
"What happened? Why are you all here? You didn't go hunting, did you?" He examined us all with big brown eyes.
"She left-"she panted before adding, "Again." His eyes widened.
"She WHAT!" he paced around. "Kiara knew that she couldn't do so! Why, why!" Kovu lowered his head but said nothing.
"We are all here because we went looking for her. In groups. But we could not find her. We were just about to go back and see if she returned." Simba nodded vigorously and started to pad ahead. Obviously, he was not thinking clear. Kovu behind him.
All lionesses groaned as they started walking again. Nala noticed Kovu's sulking look and smiled at him reassuringly. He understood what she meant by it, and only answered: "I hope so too," and maybe, just maybe Kiara had managed to escape the worst.
She could see as her whole family came into view. Tilce was happily conversing with Sarabi and Sarafina. They had been doing so since she arrived with them. Jive was lazing idly near his brother.
It had been a bad day for her, and it was about to get worst.
Kiara stood and walked outside the lion den, to see Kovu raised his head to look at her as if relieved. She quickly looked away, and then glancing a little sideways behind her, that small glint she was so used to see vanished into a gloomy one.
He probably thinks I hate him. I should tell him how sorry I am. But I'm not sure if I have forgiven what he did to me this morning. She turned around again to see when both Simba and Kovu picked the scent of the two other males. By instinct they were both running now, Kovu ahead with a deadly tenacious look in his eyes. The lionesses knew that they will arrive at some point, so they stayed with their original pace.
In less than what she imagined, Simba and Kovu were already hiking Pride Rock, to where she was. Simba arrived first, and when he saw Sarabi speaking so flowingly to Tilce he roared at him, causing Jive to stand quickly and lower his ears at the king's presence. But Tilce didn't back down. He, as Kovu did once, roared back at Simba before Sarabi intercepted them.
"Simba! Stop that childish roaring game you always use with males! That is not a way to treat a host." She demanded. He stopped because a mother's intent gaze never fails. Kovu growled at the golden-eyed lion too, but Sarabi glared at him and with that he stopped too.
Kiara made her way to Sarafina and sat next to her. Tilce took this as an invitation and sat next to them too. Only Jive remained standing, but Simba and Kovu had only eyes for the lion that was sitting comfortably between the daughter/Queen to be, and the mother/grandmother of the Queen to be.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Simba spat. His body posed into a menacing one.
Tilce straightened, and held his head high before adding: "I am Tilce, and this is my brother Jive. We wish to join the pride." Jive nodded nervously. Simba regarded them with a discontented glare.
"Kovu," Kovu stepped forward hesitantly near Simba, but never tore his eyes from were she and Tilce where sitting.
"You approve?" It could have been a big decision for the future King to do now, but they both knew the answer.
"No." He said firmly.
"I completely agree with you." He directed his words to Kovu and then looked back at the lions.
"You both get out of here. Now." Kiara and Sarabi were now angered at their insolence, but before they could say something Tilce managed to speak.
"You must be the King." He fixed this at Kovu.
"No, he is not. I am the King." Simba responded. "He is the future King."
"We have been searching for the King all this time. We both wish to be part of your pride." Kiara looked hopeful at her father. Jive and Tilce were fine, considering what she knew about them until now. He should judge them better.
Kovu and Simba shared a look before answering both in unison, "No."
"Why not?" Kiara asked. She could feel Tilce's patience being tested. A flash of anger passed by both Simba's and Kovu's face. They could not believe Kiara was defending the enemy!
"This is not your business, Kiara. Stay out of it." Simba snapped.
"We can… We can have them on judgement." Kovu suggested. Simba looked awestruck. He felt betrayed. Not only by his daughter, but also by his own apprentice. Kiara smiled at Kovu as a 'thank you' , as Simba recovered quickly.
"I guess we can… But until further notice you need to stay out of the den." Kiara remembered those days in which Kovu slept outside because her father didn't want him inside. She softened a little at that. Maybe I should say I'm sorry… No, HE is the one that has to say so first. The small debate in her mind didn't let her time to see Tilce smiling winningly and leaving with Jive to the far end of the shade in Pride Rock. Her father's voice brought her back to earth.
"Kiara, we have to talk." She looked at him questioning. Kovu sat next to him, without even looking at her.
"I know, I know. What I did was wrong. I should have known better than to do that. It was dangerous for both me and the cub. Anything could have gone wrong." She looked at Simba before finishing.
"I promise to never do that again without having your consent to leave Pride Rock." She lowered her head. Even thought it hurt to admit it, she knew that she should have never gone out in the first place.
Simba watched her patiently. "Kiara, you have learned the lesson. But you need to prove me that you can keep your promise." He stood and went inside the den. Kiara looked up again to see Kovu, looking disheartened again.
"Aren't you going to say something?" she asked.
"Look, I'm sorry for what happened this morning. But you don't have to spit it in my face again. It makes me feel miserable because I did so." He did look guilty Kovu lowered his gaze to the ground.
"I'm really sorry." He admitted. His dark mane fell, covering his green eyes.
"I'm sorry too. But you should have never done that in the first place." When he was sad, she was so accustomed to nuzzle him on instinct that when she did that, Kovu looked at her surprised.
"So you forgive me?" he asked; a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Yes," she smiled. "I forgive you." He nudged her playfully with an evil look in his face.
"Come on, I want to show you a surprise." He starts descending gracefully down Pride Rock. She laughs and follows him, as he runs ahead, smirking happily.
Tilce looked disgusted at the couple.
"I hate happy couples, they make me sick." He narrowed his eyes at them. Hatred and pain consuming him at the sight of the innocent pair. He looked at Jive gazing distantly.
"And what about you, Jive?" he questioned.
"Yeah, me too." At least he is listening.
Something told him that Jive was hiding something. But who has no secrets? Everyone has a secret plan to everything. One of these days he will rule, instead of his brother Riga. That was Tilce's secret. He will take the throne from everyone, and rule himself. But what bothered him the most was how all mighty Simba and Kovu did not even acknowledge that he and Jive were mere strangers 'looking for a place to stay'. If this is what he calls compassion, then he'll love my version of mercy. And with that he walked into the shadows of the shade they were in, evolving him in black, until only his yellow, shining eyes, and grin could be seen.
Simba watched as Kiara and Kovu left. His little girl was growing up so fast.
Nala purred at his side. Simba looked at her and nuzzled back. They were thinking about the same thing.
"She is not Kopa, you know?" her blue eyes gleamed green with the sun as she looked at him expectantly. Simba smiled to her.
"I know. But- "the smile faded as he remembered the cub.
"I don't want it to happen again." His face saddened, and Nala nudged him.
"But it won't. I promise." Simba was still worried.
"Kopa couldn't escape his fate even though we were there for him." He looked away. "I don't want it to happen again. Much less to Kiara, who has gone further than what he did." Nala looked upset now.
"But Kiara is strong," she added. "And she doesn't only have us. We can all protect her, but you sometimes go too far with it."
"If you say so…" he still looked worried. Nala nudged him again, playfully.
"She will be fine. I promise." He studied her words for a moment.
"Well, you might be right." And with that he felt more secure about it.
Sarafina watched as the young Jive approached her and Vitani. He shifted nervously as he greeted them. Vitani acted the same way.
"This is Vitani, Vitani this is Jive." She introduced them.
"Pleasure meeting you, Vitani." He said formally.
"Same." She finished. Vitani examined him with her gaze.
"I will leave to make an acquaintance. Jive here is a very interesting young lion. Quite a story he has." She stood in her four old paws, and left. There is something about those two…
She padded up to Sarabi, who was already organizing the next hunt. When she saw Sarafina laugh at her, she left Spottie to finish explaining the other lionesses about it.
"What? Can't an old huntress like me help the younger ones?" she smiled.
"You were not helping. You wanted to be part of the hunt. And Spottie is as old as you. Dia too. And Ariadna. And –"
"OK, I get it, alright." She interrupted.
"But, I just came here to ask what your bets are this time." Sarafina got to the point.
"Oh! Well, ten zebra legs that it's a girl this time." Sarabi assured.
"I won last time with that one. But something tells me it's a boy." Said Sarafina.
"But Kiara's senses are stronger than what a usual pregnancy haves. That means its girl." She stated.
"But Kovu's getting more paternal each day, and you know how the saying goes. That means it's a boy."
"Oh, for goodness sake! It is a girl. Don't you see how much Kiara sleeps now?"
"Don't you see how fast her stomach is growing? It's a boy!"
"A girl! A strong girl!"
"A male-like girl? It's a boy!
"A girl! She is drinking more water than usual
"That could also be that it's a sensitive boy!"
And with that they stayed fighting all day.
Not a long chapter but something is something, and I already started working on the next chapter. Now, now what do you think Vitani and Jive have? Where did Kovu take Kiara? And most intriguing of all, who was Kopa? Why does he affect Simba so much?
To Reviewers:
Thanks for those reviewers who earned their cookie! Keep it up! KShara Khan, you are really close to guessing… You almost got me there. Starzinmieyez, for all you consecutive reviews I know you are possibly the best follower of this story. At least you read all chapters and tell me what you are thinking from them. Really love that from readers, so keep it up! 'No name', yes I would do the same if someone told me that too. Kaelylove, I won't tell you you are right about who it is… but… (I won't ruin this to others) you're close. And you did get the cookie. Janexx, sorry for updating late.
-Cal
