Epilogue : A New Dawn
When the few lionesses who were lounging in the sun after their hunt eventually felt the presence of the Humans in the immediate vicinity, it was already too late; a series of detonations shattered the silence, mowing them down, and plunging Pride Rock into chaos.
In his den, Kovu instantly stood up on his feet, on alert, and quietly peeked outside; from his position, the lion could not see their attackers, but he knew all too well what was to expect... The nightmare was beginning anew, and this time, the Humans were breaking hell right within the sacred territories he cherished.
For long seconds, confronted to an eventuality that revived his deepest fears, Kovu only had one idea in mind: to flee, leaving the Pride to its fate, and to try and find Kiara to ensure that she was alright. And once again, Scar's voice peremptorily pervaded his mind.
"Do not even think about it, you moron."
"Scar..." Kovu begged. "If ever you had any affection for me, it's time to prove it... Help me."
"Keep your prayers for the dead kings that you spend your time invoking, you wreck." Scar growled. "And now, listen to me... All my life I've had to put up with your weakness and your pusillanimity; and it goes on even now that I am dead... But from now on, this will change."
"But what can I do?..." The young lion replied with uncertainty.
"What can you do? Finally accept that your real father is Taka, the one who should have reigned unchallenged." The voice continued. "You must show Simba that this kingdom is now yours, and that you will fight for your right. Prove the King that you are ready to die for the throne, and that you are not afraid of anything; not even him."
"My kingdom ... My throne. Yes... "Kovu nodded.
"I see you finally become intelligent... Better late than never, I suppose." Scar replied with a satisfied chuckle. "Now go, my son. Fulfill your destiny, and remember... Whether you like it or not, I shall always be there."
"And it is a burden that I am ready to wear, if only it can help me save our future." Kovu added in thought, while Scar's voice returned to nothingness. All these years he had enjoyed a comfortable life among the Pridelands, away from the concerns of the outside world, and it had always seemed to him nothing would ever threaten that perfect happiness. But now, Kovu realized how selfish he had been, and what it really meant to be king; it was not a privilege, but a duty. And thus he would fight for the survival of his Pride, even though it might mean endorsing Scar's savagery; he'd rather die, or worse, be consumed by all that rage, rather than live with the burden of guilt and Kiara's reproaches.
In silence, Kovu walked out of his den. Outside, he could still hear the detonations produced by the Humans' sticks, yet with each of these shots, it was not fear, but rage that slowly pervaded him. Just nearby, one of the Pride's huntresses appeared.
"This is not good, my Prince." the lioness gasped. "They've reached the foot of Pride Rock. We already lost two of our huntresses..."
"Gather the others, and take refuge in the common den." Kovu replied, trying to keep a composed expression.
"My Prince, we will be trapped inside, if..." she replied, shaking her head.
"Fleeing is not an option." the young lion firmly said. "Stand your ground. This land is ours; if we die, we die protecting it, and myself first. Put yourself to safety, I will try and hold them back."
Impressed by Kovu's words, the lioness complied in silence, and hurried to find her hunting group and guide it to the den's uncertain safety. Kovu then hastened to the foot of Pride Rock.
Among the high grass surrounding the promontory, the lion finally saw the now familiar silhouettes of the Humans. Their rapid advance had now led them only few meters from the common den, and they seemed to mark a pause; one of them was holding something in his hand, which attracted Kovu's attention: a glowing thing that was crackling and emitting a plume of smoke... He only realized the true nature of the object a few seconds later, when it was thrown towards the brown and withered vegetation that dominated the area... In the space of an instant the high grass around were set ablaze; an acrid smell immediately rose in the air, while other incandescent torches were thrown to the ground, drawing a circle of death around Pride Rock.
Kovu froze on spot, feeling an intense wave of heat travel to him.
"Kovu!"
Simba's voice rang nearby, and the young lion vaguely distinguished his King's silhouette on the other side of the wall of flames.
"Hold on, son! I'm coming!" Simba replied, crouching; Kovu saw him leap over the fire, flames licking his abdomen and scorching his coat. Simultaneously, a sudden movement among the Humans caught his attention, and he felt a shiver travel down his spine.
"Father! Watch out!" Kovu roared.
There was another one of those deafening detonations, and for a split second, Simba seemed to shrivel up in the middle of his leap... A roar of pain arose from his throat as he heavily crashed on his side. Approaching him, Kovu noticed with a growing horror the reddish stain that was spreading over Simba's shoulder. The King looked up at him with glazed eyes...
"Leave me... Run, son." Simba whispered through clenched jaws.
"Never." Kovu retorted.
"It is an order, Kovu." the King growled.
"Then I shall disobey you for the first time in my life, Your Majesty."
Turning away with a roar of rage, the young lion faced their attackers, interposing himself between them and Simba. Resigned, he closed his eyes when he saw them raise their strange sticks.
"Farewell... Farewell, Kiara ..."
Such were his last thoughts as he expected a final explosion of pain.
But it never came...
After long seconds, Kovu opened his eyes again, like in a dream. On the other side, the Humans had suddenly froze on spot, and were now looking around with a tangible fear... And the lion himself could feel something, not only in the air but also under his paws; for the ground had suddenly started vibrating. It was like an earthquake, deafened and rhythmic, albeit still distant but more and more noticeable as seconds passed... Soon, the vibration turned into a rumble that went up intensifying till it muffled the roar of the flames themselves.
Kovu first saw but a cloud of dust rising from the east... A cloud so thick that it temporarily occulted the sun itself; but it was not a simple storm. Behind the opaque curtain, the young lion could now see a huge mass of indistinct dark bodies, horns and hooves, which roared and seemed to move as a single individual. Behind Kovu, Simba straightened painfully and stood motionless, paralyzed by this strange feeling of deja vu that awakened memories buried since his childhood; memories of furious mooings, and stamping comparable to the sound of thunder; memories of an unspeakable terror in front of the wildebeest stampede, followed by a desperate flight along the canyons, and the terrible prospect of being trampled to death by the distraught ungulates...
But it was not towards them that the wildebeest were running... And that is when Simba and Kovu distinguished two silhouettes through the dust; a lioness and a hyena... They were running side by side in the middle of the herd himself, channeling its inexorable trampling towards the periphery of Pride Rock, where the Humans stood.
At the sight of the demented herd, their group dissolved instantly. More stumbling than actually running, the human horde scattered in every directions with cries of terror, from that moment bent on putting the greatest possible distance between Pride Rock and themselves. Less than two minutes later, nothing remained that could had ever indicated their presence around.
Still running at full speed, the herd of wildebeest veered towards the swollen river that bordered the northern border of the Pride Lands. Collecting himself, Kovu returned to the King's side, helping him stand.
"It's alright... I'm fine..." Simba reassured him with a grimace of pain. "The others... Lead them away from the fire."
Spotting a gap in the circle of flames, Kovu helped Simba get away, before evacuating the few others who had taken refuge inside the den. As the last member of the Pride finally reached the safety of the bush on the other side of the fire, the flames had already started licking Pride Rock's middle ledges, engulfing its lofty form in a burning chaos.
Simba and Kovu looked at each other, too shaken to speak at once; then they uttered the same name at the same time, a dull anguish suddenly clutching them.
"Kiara..."
The last of the wildebeest had already reached the opposite bank when Kiara emerged at the surface of the river; gradually, the stampede's rumbling became more distant before dying. The worried lioness glanced about, not seeing Shenzi anywhere; then the hyena herself surfaced among the currents a distance away from Kiara, panting.
"And you were worried stiff, eh?" the Matriarch said with a giggle.
Smiling in return, Kiara reached the bank, followed by the hyena.
"Geez; I may be up to the spout, but I sure can still run!" Shenzi added, snorting.
But a grimace of pain suddenly distorted her face, and the Matriarch collapsed on her flank with a hoarse groan. Kiara's smile faded instantly, and the lioness rushed to support Shenzi's head. The hyena looked up at her with glassy eyes where anguish and pain cohabited...
"Looks like time's up…" Shenzi moaned. Her forelimbs were clenched on her abdomen.
Kiara swallowed uneasily. "What must I do?" She asked.
"I dunno... And it doesn't look good..." the hyena replied in a sob. "I'm afraid of losing it..."
"I'm here. Everything will be fine." Kiara replied softly.
"Kiki..." Shenzi whispered, shaking his head. "Look at me... I'm just a failure, I ain't capable of doin' anything right..."
"Don't you say that." Kiara replied vehemently. "You're going to be a mother, and you will a good mother, I'm sure... You carried your child during all this time, and I do not think there is a fight tougher than this one."
For long minutes, which seemed an eternity to Kiara, the bank resounded with Shenzi's screams of pain.
When Kovu and Simba finally came in sight of the river, they saw nothing but a devastated landscape. Here and there, shrubs had been uprooted and now littered a ravaged ground of mud and grass, that had been itself trampled by the infuriated wildebeests. Dust and hair ripped from the fleece of the large ungulates were still floating in the air. A little further away, the river banks themselves bore the stigmas of their passage: entire swathes of them had been torn off, and swept away by the currents.
The previous night's storm, and now the infernal pounding of thousands of hooves had left but rubble and destruction in their wake. Limping some distance away from the bank, Simba stopped to contemplate the damages' extent with increasing anxiety. But his real concern was a different one, and thus he hardly noticed the hyena clan arriving on location almost simultaneously, preceded by Rafiki. The old baboon casted a glance around, as if searching for something; then he frowned, approaching Simba with a worried look.
At the sight of the hyenas, Kovu's mane bristled, and the young lion let out a guttural growl, his eyes fixed on the horde of predators... But Simba immediately ordered him silent, shaking his head gravely.
Just above them, a shadow hovered in circles, and Zazu landed nearby... The hornbill was silent for a few seconds, before dismally shaking his head.
"Your Majesty... I'm sorry. Your daughter... Her Grace is nowhere in sight..." the bird whispered on a stained voice. Then he sniffled and turned his gaze towards the river's muddy waters, which ended in a tumultuous cataract far below. Rafiki himself let out a long sigh, and lowered his head, his eyes closed, while his simian lips murmured a silent prayer for the two lost lives...
For a moment, Simba's face twitched strangely, and he lost himself in the contemplating of the roaring straight below them. Finally, after a long moment of nothing happening, the King envisioned the worst...
Without blinking, Simba shed silent tears. In this moment of supreme affliction, the lion was no longer aware of his surroundings, nor the stings of pain in his injured shoulder, nor anything other than one single thing : the loss of his child, in front of which Power, the Great Kings, and even the Circle of Life itself suddenly seemed so void and meaningless. And perhaps had they always been...
At his side, Kovu himself wept silently. He had been reunited with Kiara only to lose her again shortly after, and this time forever. The Pride was saved, but his companion had also paid a high price. Now, nothing else mattered.
It is at this precise moment that Banzai and Ed joined their group, followed closely by Timon and Pumbaa... Strangely enough, none of them really reacted to Simba's presence, let alone the rather surprising fact that lions and hyenas were now so close to each other without showing hostility... Except maybe Banzai, who was not long to realize that something grave had occurred. In silence, the male hyena stared at his clan's members, and felt his heart sink upon noting that Shenzi was not among them.
"Where's my mate?" He asked one of male subordinates. But the other merely looked down sadly.
With stiff movements, Banzai covered the distance that separated him from the bank where the two lions stood. Turning his head to the male hyena, Simba gave him a misty look without really seeing him. It was Rafiki who truly noticed his presence, and he slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry." the baboon gloomily murmured.
Beyond the bank rumbled the dark waters of the river, and below roared the cataract. Further ahead extended the devastated landscape, where nothing lived any longer.
And thus reality befell Banzai with the raw violence of a stab in the heart: Shenzi, the one and only person for whom he had ever felt actual empathy, was no more.
Banzai spoke not a word; no cry, no roar of anger or revolt escaped his bowels, as he was now beyond all state of anger or revolt. He just flattened himself into the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Just like Simba, he no longer seemed aware of anything, except perhaps the dreadful emptiness that now pervaded his soul.
Nearby, Ed sensed his brother's sorrow despite his limited intellect, and he immediately went to lie down at his side, whimpering sadly. A few meters away, Timon and Pumbaa themselves gloomily contemplated the scene. Sniffling, the meerkat grabbed the tail of his warthog buddy to wipe his eyes, while the latter noisily blew his nose in the grass...
In silence, Simba faced them, his gaze alternately landing onto each. Off in the distance, the mighty Pride Rock, from atop which generations of kings had ruled their subjects, was no more than a blaze from which arose a dark plume of smoke. Once again, the Pridelands were in mourning; yet, this time it was a common pain which was bringing together two communities that complacency, ignorance and prejudice had, over the years, drawn against each other. And despite all that he had thought to know on their account, the King now realized, to his surprise, that even hyenas had a heart, and loved their families just as strongly as lions. Thus, faced with this new awareness, Simba felt culpability pervade him... All these years, he had considered himself wise and insightful, yet he had remained deaf and blind to what being King really meant. And now Simba was shedding tears, not only from the grief caused by the loss of his daughter, but also for having remained foreign to the compassion Kiara had understood so well.
"Kiara... May you forgive me, my child..."
And suddenly, among the torn shrubs and trampled grass, something moved, as if in response to the King's silent prayer. He first saw but a vague golden reflection stirring in the middle of the ravaged landscape; then, gradually, two figures became clearer in the distance...
Kiara and Shenzi were walking side by side; the lioness was supporting the Hyena Matriarch, and proceeded with caution.
Seeing them approach, Simba's heart missed a beat, yet it still took him almost a minute to react. And when two females marked a pause some distance away, Simba realized something appeared changed in them ; he approached them with growing wonderment, for these two beings seemed to irradiate more light than anyone else around, despite the brownish layer of mud covering their fur.
Rushing to his daughter, the King embraced her, shedding tears without restraint.
"Kiara, my darling... I thought I had lost you forever." He whispered, the ghost of a laugh floating amidst his sobs.
"I'm alright, Father..." the lioness replied with a faint smile, before laying her eyes onto Kovu; Sighing, Kiara approached him and rubbed her cheek against his mane.
"Come on… You know grown boys don't cry, you big lug..." she softly whispered into his ear.
Raising his eyes, Kovu froze for a moment, then smiled tenderly. "Oh. I just… had some dust in my eyes, that's all..." the young lion replied, pulling Kiara against him. "I always knew you'd pull through, my Love... I never doubted you..."
Purring, the lioness further pressed her muzzle into his mane.
"No joke." she whispered with a chuckle, before turning her attention to Simba.
"I'm sorry I've worried you, Father... I could not let Shenzi down the very moment she was about to honor us with a new life."
Intrigued by his daughter's words, Simba turned to Shenzi.
"A new life?"
It is only then the King noticed the baby that the Matriarch was gently holding between her jaws, and a curiously tender smile appeared onto his face. Kiara herself smiled in turn; forever stronger than death or adversity, the Circle of Life thus transcended up to racial barriers, to touch the heart of all its children without distinction, and against all odds.
Always smiling, Simba stepped aside to grant passage to Shenzi, and the hyena slowly approached Banzai, who was still sobbing on the ground.
In silence, Shenzi put her child down between her front legs, and chewed on her lip, her eyes setting onto her companion. In front of his distress, the Matriarch's heart sank, and she experienced another moment of anguish and remorse; remorse for all the times she had humiliated him, and anxiety for having almost lost him this time.
"Geez, Banzai... You look awful..." Shenzi sniffled, bringing her paw to her companion's cheek, and gently wiping his tears. At the familiar voice, Banzai shuddered and looked up; he first distinguished but a shadowy figure through his misty eyes, but then he quietly chuckled amid his sobs.
"You look awful too, Shenzi..." the male hyena replied with a faint smile; for a moment, the two stared at each other in silence, still too shaken to dare utter a single word; Then, they hugged tightly, at the same time laughing and weeping profusely.
After a while, Shenzi gently pulled away; still smiling, the Matriarch opened her legs, revealing her daughter to Banzai... Overwhelmed by emotion, the male hyena froze for long seconds... Now that he was contemplating his newborn child, he had the impression that an incredible ecstasy was arising within himself; it was an unprecedented feeling, an impression to be bathed in a dazzling and gleeful light; it was a degree of happiness he had never experienced so far in his life... Just nearby, Shenzi suddenly hugged Ed vigorously, and the other male returned the embrace with a gentle laugh; a distance away, Timon and Pumbaa were themselved smiling to each other with delight, like two old friends who would suddenly meet again after an eternity of separation.
Unaware of the sudden joy that seemed to have seized everyone, Banzai continued to contemplate his child, tears rolling freely down his muzzle.
"I'm so sorry... I should have been present, when you..." Banzai whispered to Shenzi, sniffling.
"Don't say that..." Shenzi reassured him with a smile. "You've always been there, Banzai..." Pausing, she looked down again, casting a glance full of tenderness upon her daughter.
"Kheri..." Shenzi whispered after a few seconds.
Banzai smiled back: "Joy"... That was a good name... Yes, a very good name for a brand new start. It was like being born a second time, and his soul felt as new as on the first day, completely eased from the burden of bitterness and frustration. He once again felt in control of his life, and now, he wanted everything and everyone to be as happy as he was.
Eyeing Timon and Pumbaa, the male hyena looked down at Zawadi, who was still sound asleep on the warthog's back. Then he turned his attention to Timon, and both stared at each other at length. Finally, the meerkat gave a hint of a smile where a tiny note of sadness hovered, and he nodded slowly; approaching Zawadi, he gently stroked the hyena cub between his ears, before lifting him towards Banzai.
"Come on, Daddy..." Timon whispered.
Banzai smiled. "Thanks, dude... You're a helluva guy, you know..."
As he faced Shenzi, Banzai had another brief moment of hesitation when his companion's eyes landed onto Zawadi ... Did he have the right to do this? And would Shenzi be only willing to be a mother to a child that was not hers? But the Matriarch just smiled at the sight of the sleeping baby hyena. Encouraged, Banzai gently placed Zawadi between her paws.
"Are you sure you want to... I mean..." he whispered.
Shenzi interrupted him, shaking her head with an air of seriousness. "It's time to learn and leave the past as it is, Banzai. It's time to grow up and stop acting like teens." Marking another pause, Shenzi looked down at the two baby hyenas huddled against her stomach, and she crossed her paws over them. "I don't want my kids to live what we lived... I just want peace for them."
Pumbaa blinked in consternation, and turned to Timon.
"What, Zawadi won't stay with us?" the warthog asked.
"Well, you know... It's better for him to grow up with his own family, I think. Plus, I ain't quite sure bugs would be the best stuff for him." the meerkat replied, placing his palm against his porcine friend's shoulder. "Anyway, we'll be always around if he needs us, eh?" He then added in a more joyful tone.
"Ok then!" Pumbaa concluded, cracking a smile. "I missed being an uncle, buddy..."
"Tell me about it, mate!" Timon added.
In turn, Simba approached the group. Smiling, the King let his kindly gaze hover for a moment over this newly reunited family, before fixing his attention on Shenzi. Feeling Simba's glance onto her, the Matriarch herself looked up; both stared at each other in silence, hesitating...
A few meters away, Rafiki contemplated the scene, in expectation; after a moment, he slowly walked towards Kiara, and bobbed his head.
"They would like to go towards each other, but they lack the heard to do so..." the baboon whispered... "You who Hear... Be their mediator. Show them the way..."
The lioness smiled, well aware of the deeper meaning of these simple words; in silence, she stood between her father and Shenzi. Lifting Simba's paw, Kiara did the same with the hyena, before bringing them together.
"It is time to move forward... for all of us." the lioness murmured, her gaze landing successively on the King and the Matriarch. "We may not change the past, but it is possible to transform the future; it is never too late to start... from now on."
Simba and Shenzi remained themselves silent for a moment, staring at Kiara...
"You saved me, and my son Kovu..." the King murmured at the Matriarch's address.
"Kiki saved us all, Your Majesty; I reckon she's the one we gotta thank first and foremost..." the hyena replied.
"You saved yourselves... And it's time for you all to leave the darkness... and to return towards the light." Kiara added with a smile.
The King gently smiled in turn, his gaze falling onto Shenzi's children.
"These are beautiful little ones..." he went on. "As beautiful as a sunrise on our land."
Shenzi smiled back; a smile which, just like those few words, said much more than any further speech... Beyond a new hope for the hyenas, it was also a new start that was offered to her; she now knew that, from the beginning, a force had been dormant within her; a force ready to help her do good, but that the torments of her existence had almost choked over time. But now, the Matriarch no longer wanted to ignore that potential nature had given her, for today and for tomorrow, and for her children to inherit a world worthy of her love for them.
Once again, Simba looked back to Kiara, a glimmer of regret in his eyes...
"My darling... Your actions have taught me more in one night than all the philosophy of our fathers since my birth; I thought I was infallible, and you showed me the errors of my ways when I allowed my past to blind my judgment. Kiara, I beg you to accept the apologies of an old king." the lion whispered.
Kiara smiled in encouragement, before pressing her muzzle into Simba's mane.
"You are worthier of my respect than you've ever been, Father." She answered. "Worthy of your throne and our ancestors, Your Majesty."
But the King shook his head slowly.
"And thus, it is with a light heart that I transmit you my duty as a sovereign, my Daughter." He whispered. Blinking, Kiara tried to protest, but Simba continued on the same soft tone. "No; do not say anything... You proved that you are more than worthy of it, Kiara. This kingdom is now yours."
At his feet, Zazu gave him a shocked look.
"Your Majesty!" the old hornbill piped up. "With due respect, it is totally improper! You may not proceed to a royal enthronement without respecting the etiquette! We must first convene the royal council, and observe a period of adequate deliberation, and..."
"Geez, you're just as backward as myself, Banana Beak..." Simba replied with a sigh of exasperation. Then he smiled at the bird, shaking his head. "The new era of peace that is about to begin will be for the young, Zazu; but for the old lion that I am, it's time to stop chasing vain fancies, and to rest."
"Oh, well... In that case..." Zazu admitted with a sheepish smile.
Nodding, Simba casted a long glance around. "It will take time to learn and coexist anew." He added at Shenzi's address. "But we will help each other."
"Kiki showed me stuff can change when you least expect it... We're gonna make sure it changes for the better..." the Matriarch replied with a smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty... From the bottom of my heart!"
Rafiki himself then approached them, a little bemused smile brightening his simian muzzle.
"Well, my friends, today's a beautiful day, I believe." the baboon said, looking between Shenzi and Simba as he placed his old tanned palms on their backs.
Nearby, Kiara suddenly lifted her head and glanced about, as if suddenly enthused by an imperceptible change in the atmosphere; the lioness let her gaze trail in awe and wonderment, along the grassy steppe and arid canyons that led to the Elephant Graveyard... The sun was slowly breaking though above the desolate area, as a song seemed to arise from its depths; no longer the painful song of captivity Kiara had previously perceived in mind when encountering the specter of past matriarchs; but a chant of freedom, bright and joyful, where a thousand voices were merged into a single choir. Neither Shenzi, nor Simba could hear it, judging by the curious look they addressed Kiara... Mayhaps the soft murmur that reached her ears was but a breeze; and yet...
"We are one..."
Nature breathed, and the Circle of Life was already healing its wounds, as it always did. The tormented souls, trapped into the Elephant Graveyard, could finally find the way to the Light, and the timeless rest they had for so long sought in vain; a mother was finally reunited with her daughter, and Those who Waited could now depart Time and return to Eternity. In part unaware of the soft tears that slowly rolled down her cheeks, Kiara continued to contemplate this unseen spectacle that filled her with a wonderful joy in spite of herself. The sunlight raining down onto the Elephant Graveyard was as a warm and benevolent as a smile, and the lioness mused on how small they must all have seemed, seen from the Stars...
Not far, Kovu himself smiled in delight... Perhaps he could also sense that something happy was chanting into infinity. Or perhaps that was just, quite simply, the joy of having been reunited with his companion.
"Son, you have been remarkable."
In spirit, Kovu then turned his thoughts towards Scar's voice, which now seemed increasingly distant. By now, the future King was no longer afraid of his origins. This force was his, and would be what he would do of it.
"Thank you, Father." Kovu mused, finally discovering himself capable of feeling respect for his ancestor. "You helped me see the truth."
"No. You've helped yourself. Always remember one thing, Kovu: true power is not to be received; it is to be taken." Scar replied on a tone of confidence. "And although I may not approve of all your choices, I now know that you'll be a King who will make himself respected. And, I do think there's a form of redemption for me in all this."
Kovu sighed...
"Don't leave too far... Taka." He thought. "I did not want to admit it at first, but ... From time to time ... I might need your presence at my side."
"The fate of the living belongs to the living, Son. It is time for me to rest..."
The voice seemed to recede further, before ringing one last time. "But you may bet that I'll never be far."
Shaking his head as if to himself, Kovu turned his attention back to Simba, while Scar's voice turned silent anew, sinking with delight in its own part of peace, for the first time since his death.
"And you, Your Majesty ... You have brought me so much too. I respect you for this... But that throne is now mine. " Kovu mused. "And I will be even greater a King than you've been yourself."
But Kovu was soon enough pulled out of the flow of his thoughts by another voice, which rang to his ears like the sweetest song, bringing him back to the world of the living; a world of shared happiness, of budding friendship, and prevailing love.
"Daydreaming again, my Prince?"
"Oh, well, I was pondering Father's decision..." Kovu replied with a chuckle. "Geez... King of the Pridelands, that's quite the responsibility! Do you think I'm up to it?"
Kiara giggled, and rubbed her cheek against her companion's muzzle.
"All words as always, you big lug..." the lioness replied. "With so many faults, you will be perfect, Kovu."
The lion said nothing, merely giving her a small embarrassed smile.
"But beyond kinghood, do you think you will be up to fatherhood?"
Kovu blinked.
"What?"
And Kiara fell silent in turn, for words themselves were now redundant; she merely grasped her companion's paw, applying it onto her abdomen, and the future life that secretly throbbed within.
"This." the lioness simply said with a knowing smile...
And thus ends Light For Everyone, my first attempt at a Lion King fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it down. Reviews are welcome and appreciated !