Lol, no this isn't an April Fool...Never been one to celebrate the holiday. However, my birthday is in April! :) I'm turning 20 this month in 11 days! Lol but enough about me...

So, again with each chapter comes with my apology of how it took me so long to update, how XBOX and school and work got in the way, yadda yadda yadda...you're all used to my 'excuses' by now I'm sure. Lol

Well, here we are again. One chapter closer to the end of the trilogy...We're very close to the halfway point by now, and we're only a few chapters away from a large turning point. But no more spoilers now...Read and review...and ENJOY! :)

Chapter 10 – Instinct

--Ayden—

Four days passed as Leona and I continued northeast towards the sanctuary. On occasion, I'd call out for one of the Pygmy falcons to make sure we were headed in the right direction, and sure enough, we were dead on course.

Four days of nothing but walking, while tiring, was more boring than anything. In my former life, a road trip where the trip was several hours of sitting in a backseat, I always had a book to read or music to listen to. There was always something there to keep me busy that made the time go faster. That luxury was not available in my present situation. Here, there was nothing but me, Leona, and the path ahead of us.

Luckily, after opening up to me, Leona had much more to say than I ever thought possible. From the story of how she and Claire came together, to her minor adventures at the reservation with some other animals and humans, to her simple marveling at the beauty of the lands around us, she was quite a chatterbox at times.

And I listened to each and every word, enjoying not only what she was saying, but also simply the sound of her voice. Of course, she would occasionally fall back into her playful remarks towards my, shall we say 'absentmindedness' when it came to her, and she seemed to enjoy my reactions. I learned not to take them as seriously as time went by, and in fact, I started making remarks of my own. This only sparked even more sarcastic fun between the two of us.

The changing landscape was fascinating. Each day, and sometimes even every few hours, nature around us would slowly transition from one terrain into another as we journeyed through. From grasslands, to savannahs, jungles, and deserts, it was a menagerie of scenery. Never before had I seen such exotic plants or terrain, and it was certainly an experience I'd like to have experienced again. I took note of places that I thought more beautiful, and intended on visiting them once more before my life ended.

Being only the two of us, hunting for food was slightly more challenging than if we had the entire Pride. However, with the abilities in stealth I'd developed since taking my lion form, and Leona with her natural skills, it wasn't too hard. Each day, we'd take a little time off of traveling and split up in opposite directions to find any prey nearby. Once one of us would find a small herd, we'd fetch the other and together, we'd take down one of the stragglers.

Leona was a little rusty at hunting, being fed by humans practically all her life. It was fun teaching her how to stay quiet and covert, making sure to be ever vigilant of her surroundings, knowing the wind direction which would carry her scent, moving and flowing with the grass around her as it danced in the breeze. Teaching her about using her paws to feel movements and vibrations through the earth beneath was interesting. Every hunt we went through together was always successful.

With the two of us simply enjoying each other's company, the trip was going by quickly, and without a hitch or flaw.

But nothing is perfect.

Our fifth day, I awoke early in the morning to find that Leona was not sleeping against my stomach, as she had been doing ever since our first night together. I stretched and blinked back grogginess. Looking around, I tried to see if she was lying somewhere else. But the girl was nowhere to be found.

Standing up and stretching, I stared around, confused.

"Leona?" I called out through a yawn.

No answer.

Where on earth could she have gone?

Luckily, finding her was easy. She still carried the distinct odor of humans, so a couple quick whiffs in a few directions told me she had gone westward. I quickly trotted that way, halfway curious, halfway unsure, about her whereabouts.

A thin layer of fog was off in the direction I was heading, casting a mystical haze. The violet sky above was slowly transitioning as it stretched to the horizon; deep purple to pink and then to bright orange, as the sun began to peak the mountains.

About ten minutes later, I stumbled across Leona's crouched form, low in the grass, staring intently across a grassy hill that was shrouded in fog.

"Leona," I said matter-of-factly, "What's going on?"

"Shhhh…" She shushed quietly. "Get down." She motioned with her eyes towards the hill. Thoroughly confused, I obliged. Looking over at what she was focused on, I realized what she was staring at.

"Cows!" I said in an excited whisper, crouching down as well. At the base of the hill was a large herd of cattle, grazing silently on the dewy long-grass. Beef! What a blast from the past this will be!

Leona set her sights on a nearby brown cow, which was facing the opposite direction. A perfect target.

"On my count…" She whispered, raising her hindquarters in the air. "Three…"

I raised my hindquarters as well, readying for the spring. How cool was this! Cows in Africa! How long had it been since I'd had beef? I couldn't even remember…

"Two…"

Cows in Africa! …wait…cows in Africa? Hold on a second…

Only now did I realize that, at even increments around the cattle, were wooden stumps. A closer glance confirmed the barbed wire attached between the wooden stumps. My breath froze and my heart plummeted into the icy depths of my stomach.

It was a fence. This was a cattle herd for a human village.

"One..."

"Leona, no! Wait!"

Too late. She had already sprung into a pounce and landed dead on her target. The cow thrashed violent, crying out in protest and pain. The noise set off the rest of the herd, which tore off in a violent stampede into the fog. Viciously clawing at the screaming cow, Leona made quick work of it as she went for its throat and barbarically tore it out. Blood gushed from the gaping wound as the cow's screams grew briefly louder and higher, before it grasped for a few last breaths and finally fell silent.

"Leona!" I yelled as I sprinted towards her, "Do you know what you've done?!"

"Yeah!" She said smugly through a bloody smile, "I just got us breakfast single-pawed while you sat there like a…"

Distant yells were coming from the fog where the herd had disappeared. My heart was beating a bruise against my ribs, and my breath grew shallow.

Please…please, don't let them have…

CRACK!

"RUN!" I yelled, pushing Leona back the way we came.

She understood immediately as yet another CRACK from a gunshot ricocheted across the land. More villagers were yelling now and their dark forms started appearing out of the fog, holding long rifles in their hands.

We turned and started to run back the way we came as fast as our legs could carry us, hearts pounding away in our throats. As the voices and gunshots behind us grew fainter, my heart eased up a bit. For one brief moment, I was sure we had lost them.

Isn't it just wonderful when life rears it's ugly head?

Straight ahead of us, in the fog, another gunshot sounded, and this one was dangerously close.

"Turn around!" I yelled as another villager bloomed out of the fog. Digging my claws into the earth, I slid for a moment before springing back the opposite direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leona do the same. Over my pounding heart, I heard her call out to me.

"But…now we're heading right back towards…"

CRACK!

Aiheu must have been watching over me, because I felt the air move swiftly and heard the quick PHWOO! of the bullet as it flew mere inches past my face. The gasp that followed was well deserved as my heart had stopped for one brief second. When the beats started again, they were even faster than they had been before.

We needed a plan, and we needed one fast.

"Leona, stop!"

I skidded to a halt and saw her do the same several feet to my right. Whipping my head around, I looked wildly for something…anything that could help us. But the only thing in sight was just a gigantic sea of long-grass.

"We're trapped…" I whispered as the voices in the fog grew closer. "Duck down…I've got an idea. Stay as quiet as possible."

She nodded. We lowered ourselves down as far as our bodies could go, low beneath the grass. Leona was easily hidden, however I was another case. My white fur was a dead giveaway to anybody who saw me moving. But what else was I to do?

As slowly and quietly as I could make myself, I moved forward, inch by inch. Leona moved in synchronization with me. Suddenly, several pairs of footsteps shuffled several feet ahead. I stopped moving, and held out a paw for Leona to do the same. As the two figures appeared from the fog, the two of us held our breath.

The dark-skinned men were looking around cautiously, staring for any sign of movement. Each one held a long double barrel shotgun. My heart was beating violently in my chest. If either of us moved at all, I was sure the men would see us.

They moved slowly together, closer and closer. Within seconds, they would be right on top of us. My eyes met with Leona's, and as they connected with each other, we both knew what needed to be done for us to escape. Once again, quiet as a mouse, I prepared myself on my haunches, ready for the pounce.

My eyes laid on the man to the right. My aim wasn't to kill, but merely stun. If I stuck my target, then there would be no need to kill. I could only hope Leona's aim was the same.

The men were within reach. Our eyes met once more, and I nodded. Silently, the two of us sprang forward, each towards one of the two men. I kept my claws sheathed as I connected with my target; the man's chest. He fell with my weight, and we collided with the ground. He let out a surprised yell before his head connected with the ground and he fell unconscious. I glanced over at Leona and was glad to see that she had only knocked out her target as well.

"Come on." I said quickly. "The other villagers will have heard their yells."

Leona nodded. Together, we sprinted back towards where we had slept the night before. After a few minutes, my legs were growing tired, but I refused to slow down. Not when there were angry, armed villagers chasing us. Within minutes, we were back at our sleeping spot, and simultaneously, we both turned and started sprinting to the northeast once more.

After about ten more minutes of sprinting, I was sure we had lost the villagers. We slowed to a walk, panting fervently.

"What…was…all…that…about?" Leona said, breathing between each word.

I breathed deeply several times before answering her. The anger began to boil over within me, and it was growing more and more difficult to contain. "That was an angry mob of villagers. You killed one of their cows! Didn't you see the fence around them?"

"The what?" Leona said, narrowing her eyebrows at my raised tone. "What are you talking about? All I saw was a herd of food."

"Leona!" I said defiantly, "Villagers don't take kindly to wild animals killing their animals! Didn't you hear those cracks? Do you know what those are?"

Her breathing was quickening, and her claws were anxiously pulling at the earth below her. "You'd better watch your tone. After all, you were chomping at the bit for it too." She said with a growl. Clearly, she was trying to intimidate me. That wasn't gonna happen.

"Yes, I was until I actually observed my surroundings, like a good hunter is supposed to do!" I said. "This is bigger than just losing a meal Leona. You could have killed us! You need to be more careful! If I hadn't come by to find you, what do you think would have happened?"

She froze. The expression didn't change, but it was clear that I had touched a nerve. Now, the question was whether I should push forward and make the point 100% clear, or to let her simmer.

Why wait? No better time than the present, I suppose.

"Those villagers would have discovered you with their dead cow, and would have shot and killed you on the spot. To them, we are nothing more than meddlesome wild animals; wild animals that should be killed if we come too close, or touch something of theirs."

Her face fell. The anger was gone now, replaced with a confused mixture of sadness and shame.

"I…I didn't mean for…I was just…"

Her voice grew weak and cracked as she tried to find the words to explain her actions. As her eyes began to gloss over, my heart sank once more. Once again, I'd let my emotions get the better of me and taken them out on the one I cared about.

"Leona. We all make mistakes." I said understandingly, trying my hardest to stop her depression. "I've made a ton in my lifetime, one that actually ended my life once. I was really lucky that time though. I doubt it would happen again. You just need to be more careful. People don't understand us, and they'll do anything to make sure they don't need to deal with us."

Her face to the ground, she nodded. I stepped forward and nuzzled her face.

"Come on now, there's no need to be upset. We'll find more food later. And besides, just think. This time tomorrow, we'll be almost to the reservation…to your Claire."

She gulped in a few gasps of air and sniffed. She looked up at me, eyes still partially glossy, but with a smile.

"I'm sorry. You're right. We're almost there, and we can't let the little things get us down now, can we?"

"Nope." I replied with a gentle smile. "I think we should keep moving though. We don't want those villagers catching up to us again."

Leona nodded with a smile of her own, and together we continued towards the northeast, not knowing that we would reach our destination far sooner than we thought we would.

--Astra de Leo--

High above, in the constellation of Astra de Leo, Mufasa and Sarabi lay contentedly on a cloud, watching Ayden and Leona continue forward on their journey. Mufasa smiled brightly, and looked up at his beloved.

"He's so near fulfilling his destiny. Not once has he strayed from the path expected of him. He never ceases to make me proud."

"They both do." Sarabi replied serenely, staring down miles behind Ayden and Leona to the Pride Lands, where Simba sat perched on the promontory of Pride Rock. "He asks every day for them to stay safe on their way. He always prays for our guidance."

Mufasa nuzzled Sarabi softly. "Indeed, and we provide it as often as possible."

He looked back down at Ayden and took note of how close they were to Koko Milele Sanctuary.

"And it looks like our time to act is nearly upon us. We shall assist Ayden directly one last time. Taka!"

In a flash, Taka appeared next to Mufasa, smiling graciously at his brother, his black mane wafting lazily in the Heavenly breeze.

"Yes Mufasa?"

"It is time." Mufasa responded. "Will you go and fetch our guest from the hall outside? He needn't wait any longer for his moment."

"Of course." Taka said with a bow. "Should I take him to Aiheu?"

Mufasa chuckled lightly. "That won't be necessary. He's been waiting a long time for this moment. He already knows exactly what he needs to do."

Taka bowed with a smile before walking away quickly towards the large marble doors that connected Astra de Leo to the rest of Heaven. Upon reaching them, he took a deep breath and let out a quick roar. The massive doors slowly opened wide, allowing an intense white light to burst through the opening. As the intensely holy light blazed through into the heavenly atmosphere, a tall, old man in pale green robes was revealed standing silhouetted in the light streaming through before the luminous burn tapered off into the normally serene glow of Astra De Leo.

--Ayden--

As night fell, the stars twinkled to life above us. Leona and I walked close, side by side, just staring up as we continued forward. As the sky became brighter and brighter, I was reminded of a song I knew long ago. Quietly, but loud enough for Leona to hear. I sang chorus as it all came swiftly back to my memory.

I guess I must be wishin' on someone else's star…

Seems like someone else keeps gettin' what I'm wishin' for…

Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are?

I guess I must be wishin' on someone else's star…

"That sounds pretty." Leona said softly, looking into my eyes.

"I always liked the song." I said with a smile back. Those sparkling emeralds held their mystifying gaze on me once more, and again the feeling of serenity was ever so present. And now, I was lost in her eyes once again. Only this time, I wasn't alone. We explored each other through those small, but ever so telling windows into each other's soul. Warmth and calm spread through me as our faces moved closer to the others'.

Just a little closer…

Her eyes closed peacefully as our noses touched. She smiled as her mouth parted ever so slightly.

Here it comes!

Her ear twitched to the right, as did mine. Quick as a flash, we both fell to our bellies in the grass as an odd crunching noise, accompanied with a strange whirring and churning grew louder and louder in the distance. Somebody was coming this way. Instantly, my mind fell on the angry mob of villagers we had escaped earlier that day.

WONDERFUL timing, mysterious visitor. I thought with an eye-roll. I sighed into the dust below. Lifting my head, I stared around, looking for our strange guest. It didn't' take long before I saw the two bright circular orbs dancing their way in the distance towards us.

Memories washed over me, and the image of a rusty and beat-up old jeep crossing the rugged terrain of the savannah played predominantly in my psyche.

That was a car coming towards us.

"Don't move a muscle…"I whispered quietly.

"Don't need to tell me twice." She replied in a hushed tone.

The jeep stopped about a hundred yards in front of us. Three silhouettes moved about the cabin of the car. After a moment of shuffling, a slender figure stepped from the backseat of the jeep and shut the door, before crossing up to the driver's side window.

"That's it?" Came a heavy African voice from inside the car.

"What else am I supposed to do? Blow up firecrackers?" Came a sarcastic reply from the female standing outside. Leona's ears perked up. The woman was speaking again.

"The only other thing I would like you guys to do is keep your cells handy. As soon as I call, let me know when you can get me back, and if you can't you know who to tell and who not to. For future reference, I'd really prefer it to be Faraji or if not him, then Carika. Again, you know who not to tell. Any other questions?"

There was no reply.

"Good. See you later then guys?"

"Later!" Two voices in the jeep said in unison. The back wheels spun out, and the jeep took off at a reckless speed as the two men inside careened off into the night.

"Claire…" Leona whispered. Without any warning, she stood up and started walking towards the woman, who now sat on a nearby rock, her arms around her knees, apparently deep in thought. I stood up and walked with Leona, towards the woman who I had no doubt in my mind of her identity.

This was Claire.