CH.10: War and love pt2

Falling…fear…isolation…everything around her seemed still and she couldn't shake where she was. Suddenly the darkness peeled away with a might roar and striding towards her with confidence and strength was a great maned lion, his smile was broad and his laughter rolled over her giving her a sense of…enlightenment. It was strange…this figure before her looked almost like her father…but it wasn't as he still lived. There was…no this was crazy and all of this cloud and ringing in her ear…she must be having wedding anxieties and so she came here to get away.

"Kiara, my granddaughter…it is not your time yet. I am glad to see you though." His voice was booming and he held out a paw to her and she took it uncertainly as she was helped up.

"Granddaughter…wait…you aren't Mufasa by any chance are you?" He shook his wise head and she balked a bit…her head heavy from all of this.

"I am…and I see you seek council…though as I am sure you are aware we have met already. I was the one that filled you in on Vitani…figured it only right…given my son's handling of the situation…and yours. I can see though you are filled with regret and doubt…and I sympathize as I was the one who put these thoughts into my son's head…made it so that one had to hide their sexuality. When I was growing up it was wrong to fall for one's own gender…and I saw first-hand what happened to those who did what they thought they could…not fearing they'd be caught…but they were wrong."

Kiara followed Mufasa as he moved and she noted the way he seemed quite well…given how he was stampeded to death. Clouds continued to form around them and if not for Mufasa she would likely have gotten lost by now.

"You are going to have to make a choice Kiara…regardless what everyone believes. It is not an easy choice either…as you have been questioning this for a long time now. You are old enough now where you can make your own choices…choose who you want to love…and not the other way around. And yes…I know this goes against my own son…but he is leading by my way…not his. There is still time to change…still time to fix the mistakes of the old."

"I don't want to break his heart," she says, "or disappoint him. I spoke up that day against Vitani which led to her banishment…said some rotten things too. Vitani had no friend, there was no crying for her as she left…and even after I'm sure my father made sure she didn't come back…I know it."

Mufasa nods his head as he stops before some water. It was strange that there was water here but as she gazed into it she noted the lioness already before Pride Rock…and they were led by a fierce looking lioness who looked like she hadn't bathed in quite a while. She was speaking…but…for whatever reason she could not hear her.

"Her name is Zira…she was once a member of Pride Rock…till she was banished. She had three cubs, the oldest was Nuka, followed by Vitani, and then it was Kovu. She raised Kovu to be the 'true King' of Pride Rock…to take back what was stolen from them. She has spent every waking hour and night training him, though to put such pressure on one so young…it can do things to them. I did not believe my time would be cut so short when I last spoke to my son…had I done so…had I known I might have done a little more for him…but instead he wound up hurt…lost and in despair and trusting his Uncle he fled…leaving the throne for Scar to take. Zira is not a force to be taken lightly…and armed with the knowledge you are…what will you do with it?'

Kiara was speechless…she had every right to be given how she was in love with Vitani…who happened to be the sister of the lion she was to wed…and the mother of Kovu was the very primal force set to take on her father. Mufasa though did not rush her any…he had all the time in the world so why would he rush? Tears were falling from her cheek as she felt so helpless…so caught off guard by all the lies she had taken in…never questioning that there was a sliver of truth or doing more to learn more about the ones in her circle.

"Kovu came to me…told me he had killed Vitani…" She began finding her voice; her reddish colored eyes stared at Mufasa but again he did not rush her. "He seemed guilty of it…though…it also felt like he was trying to tell me something else…"

"Let us look in and see what it is he wished to tell." Mufasa then touched the water with his paw and suddenly sound began to come out.

"Kiara has fallen…but I can't see her…" Kovu stood there, she could see that as if she was right there…but it still seemed like some kind of foggy dream like thing.

"Why would you kill your own sister Kovu…and what aren't you telling us?" Her mother was quite forward and she applauded her on this. Nala was quite perceptive at times and right now she was on guard given the events that happened.

"Vitani was in love with Kiara…she had it set in her mind to go to her…and I couldn't let that happen. She tried to make me see to reason…however I was too far gone…too set in the plan that I couldn't see past it. She fell…and today during the wedding I was to…kill Simba-."

"What?!" Kiara felt her question echoed in her mother's facial features and the draw back of her teeth as she set upon Kovu catching him off guard and pinning him to the ground.

"I-I wasn't going to do it…well…I wasn't going to go through with it now that I have had a change of conscious. However my mother is already here and my brother Nuka has so much riding on this…to prove to mother that he is worthy of her love…and if I don't go through with it I let him down, I let my mother down…and…I lose everything."

Kiara didn't know if she should feel pity or anger over what she was hearing. This was her future husband…and what…he was hoping she could overlook the death of her father as her mother and her lioness reigned over the Pride Lands and she was just some trophy…how rude. Kiara however didn't say anything, again merely a guest in this spectrum of wavering water overlooking events that may have past or come to. As it was she didn't even know if she were on the verge of death or just bleeding out somewhere from her fall.

"I won't let you near my husband…my King…do you understand that you liar and scum of the plains?!" Kiara's mouth couldn't help working into a smile as she could hear the venom but also the protectiveness coming off her mother. She had seen her hunt a few times and getting her father to get up in the morning, but, this was the first time she really came off wickedly awesome.

"Uh yes…I do now. However what about my brother?" Kovu lay there for a bit and Kiara watched on and saw her mother think that through as she rose up.

"The wedding will go on…as planned…but if it is done right no one has to die today. It is clear that Kiara may have…hesitancy of her own on this day so…we will just take this wedding slow as possible. I need to find Simba…you need to find your brother. Kiara may still get out of this…so…I know just the two to help out."

Kiara really had no idea how this would pan out and then the image vanished and she was left staring at just water.

"It will take a bit to snap out of that…normally those in a great deal of pain are not shown the water till they have made the full trip over. The pool of reflection allows one to reflect upon the past…look in on the future, what you have just witnessed is things happening in the present…it is also that reasoning that tells you that you aren't yet dead. If you were…you would be seeing how things will turn out."

Kiara found it hard to wrap her head around any of this…and yet…the fact the future was not yet written meant she could change things. It was her choice…and even if Vitani was not around she needed to put a stop to this coming war…before it was too late.

"How do I get back?" Kiara inquired looking at her Grandfather. Mufasa sat there and laughed a bit.

"Have you ever pretended to be a leaf in the wind…blown to and fro falling to the ground with just a simple descent? Well…this is nothing like that. Tell my son…to lead in his own way from now on…to stop looking to the old ways…your mother was right, love will find a way…and you will find yours…sooner than you think."

Kiara was about to ask further about that but suddenly the clouds around her disappeared and she was once again falling.

Simba stood there looking out at Zira and her army of lioness. Today of all days she decides to show up here…this felt planned out somehow. He could not place his paw around it though…was there something he missed? He would ask his father but he was certain this matter was his and his alone to solve.

"Zira…you were told to never return to the Pride Lands…what brings you here now?" Simba declared, his mouth a frown.

"Simba, Simba…is that any way to talk to family? After all…pretty soon you and I will be quite close…and it would be a shame to spill blood of loved ones would it not?" Zira's words shook him…and yet…all they did was upset him.

"You were once part of this Circle…but…that was in the past and you are no longer welcome here. By staying here you invoke the act of war…is that what you want?" Simba could hear the great lions from the past up above and knew trouble was coming…almost a premonition of sorts. Just what did she mean by close?

"I will not strike…and I give you my word we shall leave as soon as the Royal Wedding is over. I would not miss that for the world." Zira had cold eyes that reminded him of Scar and he snarled before turning away. And that is when he saw Nala.

"Simba, thank goodness I found you." He felt her nuzzle him and he pressed in close before pulling back, something was wrong here.

"I am alright…though now you have me worried, a little more with all the commotion down below. What is up?"

"Kovu…have you lost your mind?" Nuka paced about as Kovu sat there not moving, his words spoken loud and clear… and even then it was impossible to take it without losing it.

"I am not going through with killing Simba…we can avoid this war and finally be out from under our mother's paws. Face it Nuka…our mother is cold and will always be cold even after she gets what she wants. We need to break free…"

"Oh no…I am not going to believe this, I can't, you are my brother and family sticks together…they aren't even your family Kovu!" Nuka stared hard at him but he would not budge.

"Nuka, with Vitani gone you are all I have left…I don't want to lose you in what is to come…this war is pointless-."

"Oh no…you are pointless…I thought we were in this together but clearly…you are with them!" Nuka snarled as he began to advance on him.

"Think this through Nuka…we are family…we are one!" Nuka could not see that…after they had come so far, spent so many years playing goody goody with these pretenders when it was their blood that should be here…it sickened him. He would always side with his mother…she who had birthed him and taught him…things.

"You will die for siding with them brother…and when you go…say hi to Vitani for me!" Nuka then lunged at him and the two began to tumble down the hill.

Authors note: Kiara, aided with the advice from Mufasa sets out to do what is right, whatever her condition maybe, meanwhile Nala sets out to warn Simba of things and Kovu and Nuka are set to fight one another in a conflict long coming. In the next chapter war finally breaks out and perhaps amidst it all…love will indeed find a way. The finale continues next.