Storm clouds rolled over the Savannah, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as rain poured from the sky and poured down over the Pridelands. The gorge was beginning to fill from the amount of water that filled it.
At Pride rock, Bora stood at the edge staring off into the Savannah, the rain soaked her body. It had been four days since she or anyone has last seen her mother or any of the other newcomers. Kovu, Simba and Huru had gone out to find Eshe, but always came back empty handed with no news of her mother's whereabouts.
Roars of a lioness in labour were heard from the main cave. Kiara had gone into labour an hour before. Nala was inside with her as Kovu paced in front of the cave with Simba lying near by. Huru had gone out to continue the search, but was returning as the storm got worse, hurrying over to him, Bora looked at him with hopeful eyes, looking away Huru sighed, "I'm sorry Bora there's still no sign of them" looking back toward her he watched the hope vanish from her eyes.
Hanging her head, she sat down. All her wounds had begun to heal all but one. Though it healed, her ear was still missing the piece that Nuru had taken a bite out of. Licking her ear, Huru rubbed his head around her neck as he purred to try and calm her worried mind. Both lions looked up when they heard a roar come from Kovu who was now in the cave, signalling the arrival of the newest royal cubs.
"Come let's go see them that might cheer you up…" Huru hoped as he and Bora walked toward the caves. Walking inside they walked to where Kiara lay with Kovu beside her. Both young lions stared down at the two newest little cubs that were suckling from their mother.
Kiara smiled down at the newborn cubs, then looked up at her eldest son, "Huru, I'd like you to meet your little brother Fumo and your sister Aida" Kiara whispered as she licked her cubs cleaning them and lifted them both into her paws.
Bending his head down, Huru looked at both of his new siblings, grinning; he nudged his new sister with his nose but pulled away rubbing his nose when she sneezed on him. Bora for the first time in days cracked a small smile at her best friend, looking down at the new cubs she thought silently, 'Wish you were here mom? You would have loved to see them…' looking back at the cave's entrance her eyes saddened, 'Where are you?'
Battling against the winds and rain, Zazu flew with all his might back toward Pride rock, a gust of wind caught hold of him and loosing all concentration on flight fell tumbling toward Pride rock, hitting the ground he rolled. "Sires!" he called.
Simba who had heard Zazu hurried on outside and gathered the bird up and took him aside, "What is it Zazu? What news do you bring?"
Zazu bowed before speaking, "Sire…I found her…her body it is in the Outlands…"
Simba's eyes widened, "Body…?" he whispered hoping for a moment that he had heard the hornbill wrong.
"Yes Sire…She's dead…. her body has been torn apart in many ways…"
Simba looked back off toward the cave and sighed, "Keep this until tomorrow. I do not need my grand cubs births to be associated with Eshe's death" he waited until Zazu had agreed before he turned and headed on back inside, Nala turned her head as he entered, "Any news?"
Simba hesitated for a moment before he shook his head, "No Zazu has found nothing," he said as he and Nala went back to Kiara.
The following morning, it was Kovu who had awakened Bora. Confused she followed him outside where Simba, Nala, and Huru were waiting. Nala had her head under Simba's buried in his mane as she cried. "What's going on…you're all acting as if someone had died?"
There was a long pause before it was Kovu who spoke up, "Bora…we have found your mother…"
"You have? Where is she?" happiness spiked over her face. But it slowly vanished when it all began to sink in, Nala crying, the looks of sadness and the sadness in the atmosphere, then her smile slowly faded. Her eyes widened, "No…" she looked at everyone then at Zazu who sat on a rock, he nodded, "I am sorry Miss Bora," he apologized.
Bora stepped away from them, shaking her head in disbelief, ears flat against her head she turned and ran from them. Running down the slope that led down Pride rock, she ran as fast as her paws could carry her on the ground, which was still wet from the previous night.
She ran for miles, until she no longer had the energy to continue further, collapsing on the ground, tears poured from her eyes, her head laid on her paws as her body heaved with sobs and trying her best to breath. Her body was sore from running but she didn't seem to care. Her mother was gone. The lioness who had raised her…gone…and she had a feeling just who was the cause of her mother's death. Bora laid there for numerous hours, unable to find the strength to push herself back up onto her paws, but she knew deep down she didn't want to move.
A shadow loomed over her, opening her eyes she stared up into the concerned face of her cub hood friend, "Huru…" she whispered. Huru looked at her with concerned soft eyes, rubbing his head against hers; he lay beside her, his eyes watching her face the whole time.
"Why…. Why did she have to die? What have she ever done to them?" she asked as she closed her eyes.
"Them?"
"I know they killed my mother Huru, the signs all point to it, they all disappeared the same night and now my mother's body has turned up dead. They killed her Huru! And I cannot let them get away with this…" growling, Bora dug her claws into the ground, when she felt a paw on hers.
"Bora…even if you found them…they could overpower you. Your mother was a powerful lioness and they brought her down…"
"I can't just stand here and let them get away with my mothers murder!" jumping to her paws she looked at him with wide angry eyes, "I can't just…. let them get away…"
Nodding, he stood and faced her, "Yes Bora…I know…you're not the only one…I will help you…but for now…. we have to let them think they got away with murder…they know they can no longer come into the Pridelands now that we know what they've done. I promise Bora they will NOT get away with this, but for now, we have to wait…I've been told before, 'Revenge is not a path well taken'" holding out his paw he smiled at her, "Let head home…we will see what we can do…if we have to wait, I will have Zazu send word to other Prides to see what they know of these lionesses and when we get that information it will be time to strike"
Bora looked at him then looked over her shoulder at the Outlands in the distance, she could see the vultures circling in the sky, her eyes narrowed slightly, but sighing she turned her head toward Huru and looked down, "I don't want to wait…but I know you are right…but I will train myself hard…I will get revenge for my mother, she did not deserve to die in cold blood!" she vowed.
Nodding Huru walked over and stood along side her, nudging her head with his own, he said no more as the two of them made their way back to Pride rock, as dark greying clouds loomed over the sky once again. The sky seemed to reflect what Bora and the Pride were now feeling for a loss of their own.
