Here it is! Sorry it took a while.
Joka stepped from the cave, gazing around at every one who stood on the main platform of Pride Rock. He saw his father sitting next to his mother who looked worried.
"She's been gone for a while." Kovu muttered.
"I hope she's all right." Kiara murmured.
"Don't worry," Simba stepped to Kiara's side. "If anything has happened to her, we'll go and search for her."
Erevu was sitting by himself against the side of the cave as it started to rain. Rain pelted each speck of fur, until the pride began to slowly vanish inside the cave. Joka couldn't tell if Kiara was sobbing, or if that was just rain drops which streamed down her cheeks.
"Oh, look!" She screamed over the loud noise of rain.
Kovu jumped to her side. "Maisha!"
A figure was making it's way toward Pride Rock with a large object which looked like that of an antelope carcass dragging on after it.
Joka bolted to his father's side. "Maisha?"
Instead of the russet colored lioness, a more brighter furred lioness came through the thick rain and up the rocky paths.
"Nafisa!" Kiara gasped.
Joka's heart lurched as he backed up, leaving Nafisa room to walk by.
"What happened?" Kovu asked.
Simba and Nala came from the cave and over to the pale furred lioness.
Nafisa placed the large antelope carcass down. "Maisha caught this." She murmured. "But...she was injured while killing it. I found her, and she asked me to bring it back. She's with Rafiki now."
Kiara gasped. "Well, is she all right? Is she in pain?"
"I didn't ask." Nafisa muttered. "But she looked as though she were."
"At least she is all right." Kovu said in relief.
"She'll be welcomed home in a noble matter." Simba remarked.
Nala nodded her agreement.
"Let's get inside for now." Nafisa sighed.
Joka followed each lion in, but stopped at the entrance. "Nafisa," He whispered.
"Huh?" Nafisa glanced back at Joka.
"Come here." Joka hissed.
"What?" Nafisa growled, padding toward him.
"Follow me." Joka flicked his tail over Nafisa's ears and headed back out into the rain. Nafisa glared for a moment but silently began to follow. They ran toward the back of Pride Rock, toward a small pond which was shadowed by an overhanging cliff. Joka charged for it and skidded to a stop under the cliff, sheltered from the rain. Nafisa came in next to him, ducking so her head wouldn't hit the rocky cliff.
Her fur brushed up against Joka's, making her own pelt prickle in the odd feeling that seemed so very familiar...
"What is it?" She demanded.
"Look," Joka sighed. "I just wanted to apologize for how I acted before. I don't know what came over me!"
"It was strange." Nafisa's voice was barely a whisper.
"We're still friends, aren't we?" Joka asked.
"Of course." Nafisa laughed. She let out a loud, breathy sigh. "Maybe I'm starting to act a bit too childish..."
Joka felt slightly guilty. "No, you're not. I'm just getting too boring." He laughed.
"Yeah, you are." Nafisa flicked her tail and him playfully.
"No, no play fighting." Joka looked away, restraining himself.
"Come on." Nafisa nudged him.
"Play fighting is for cubs." Joka rolled his eyes.
"Oh, yeah?" Nafisa pounced at him.
"Hey!" Joka lunged for her and rolled over on the ground.
"Ha!" Nafisa firmly pinned him down. "You've lost your skills!"
"Have not!"
"Have too!"
Joka kicked Nafisa up gently, so he didn't hurt her, and pounced forward at her again. Nafisa laughed as she was thrown onto her back. Joka came to her side and placed his paw on her chest. "Who's lost their skills now?"
"You've always had to get the last word in." Nafisa glared up at him playfully.
"Well, that's that." Joka smiled down at her in affection.
Nafisa received a wonderful feeling at gazing into his eyes, but she was still unsure of what it meant. She couldn't quite place her paw on it. In any case, they were still best friends, and nothing would ever change that.
"Hey!" Maisha called. "Rafiki? Are you there?" She entered the baobob tree and stepped into it's very large hollow, where all of Rafiki's herbs, medicines, juices and food was stored.
I wonder if what Zira said about Simba was true, She thought while she waited. He's Kiara's father and my and Joka's grandfather. He couldn't have murdered an innocent lioness. Maybe mom and dad are protecting Simba from being accused, by saying that Zira was the evil one. But wouldn't that mean they're in on it too? Ugh, this is bothering me so much! Perhaps I should ask Rafiki about a way to find out.
A flash of dark blue, and a strange face popped out in front of her, shaking Maisha from her thoughts.
Maisha screamed and jumped backward. "Who? What?"
"Relax, princess. It's me, Old Rafiki." The old mandrill stood there, leaning on the stick which held coconuts and other fruits.
"Oh, Rafiki. Um...I was injured while hunting. Nafisa told me I should come and see you." Maisha said.
"Right," Rafiki tugged her tail. "Come."
Maisha felt a low growl go through her throat, but she quickly shook it away and followed Rafiki to a lit up area toward a window-like wall in the tree, where Maisha found herself peering out.
"Wait here." Rafiki walked off toward a place where herbs were hung from the wall. He looked over them.
"Um," Maisha spoke up. "That's not the...only reason I came here."
"'Tis not?" Rafiki glanced back at her before continuing an instant later.
"No," Maisha sighed. She quickly decided not to give away all from what she had learned from her dream, "I have...grown curious toward those stories of our ancestors, and past Kings and Queens, as well as what happened...I mean, counting deaths-" She had an abrubt stop but soon after added, "and births, and...you know, details. And I want to know the full truth of what happened."
Rafiki was staring at her the whole time she talked, strange expressions on his face. Then, he murmured, "I know much about what has happened in the past, but you speak of events far before I was even born. I do not study too much of this either,"
Maisha's heart sunk in disappointment.
"However," Rafiki's voice once again jerked Maisha alert again. "I do know of a place where you may be able to find this out."
"Where?" Maisha demanded.
"Over the far away hills, in the Kingdom of Maziwa. I've heard of this place, as does every lion in your pride at some point. You have obviously not been informed yet. It is a land with a large lake in the middle of each pride territory which surrounds it. One pride, in particular, however, holds many secrets, facts and legends that even your pride may not know about. It is a long journey."
"That-that just might be what I need!" Maisha exclaimed.
"Then you may go. But I must warn you: Many dangers occur around the area you will be traveling. Move fast." Rafiki warned.
"Thank you so much!" Maisha dashed away.
"Ey!" Rafiki called after her. "What 'bout your leg?"
"Oh," Maisha sighed. "Right. All right, make it quick."
So, Rafiki treated Maisha's scrape and used a leafy bandage around her leg, and soon enough, Maisha felt better. She could almost walk without a limp, but it was slightly still there. After a quick thanking to Rafiki, Maisha ran from his tree and back to the Pride Lands, where grassy terrain felt terrific on her paw pads. But she couldn't stay there for too long. She'd wait until her leg felt much better, and she could walk without a limp. Then, she'd set off on her quest.
I wonder what'll happen from here...
