And here we go, chapter 12! Sorry this one is so short, its sort of just a filler so I didn't skip a bunch of time. Yay, time is passing... READ ON!
Sorry, I know I'm crazy... :p
The wise King Kovu was standing at the top of pride rock, his growing son standing next to him. Together, they were looking out over the vast lands, and Kovu was showing the prince the boundaries of the Pride Lands. After a few minutes, the sun had risen to its height and Kovu could feel the sun beating down on his back. Turning to his son, he spoke.
"Kimoni, have you seen enough of the Pride Lands now?"
The young prince nodded, his eyes shining. "Am I really going to be able to rule it one day, like you and mommy?"
Kovu chuckled. "Yes," he told his son, "but only if you have a nice lioness like your mommy to be queen."
"Ewww!" said Kimoni, making a face. "I'm going to be the first king to rule without a queen!"
Kovu shook his head, his dark mane drifting in the soft breeze. Sometimes Kimoni could be such a nuisance. Giving the blue sky above him a small smile, Kovu realized that he must have been a nuisance to Simba at times too. He had taken a long time to learn and understand everything the wise king had tried to teach him. Chuckling, Kovu softly batted at Kimoni, and the prince tumbled away from his large paw. Leaping back at his father, Kimoni tried to pin him down, but Kovu was both to quick and too large to be taken down so easily. Rolling over, and placing his large paw down on Kimoni's tail, he chuckled as his son tried franticly to get away.
"Has your mother been teaching you to fight again?" he asked.
"I heard that," said a voice from behind him, and the King looked up to see his mate, Kiara, giving him a stern look. Kovu grinned at her, his face taking on an innocent glow. Kimoni managed to pull himself free of his father's heavy grasp, and bounded over to the queen.
"Mommy, did you see how big the Pride Lands are? And I get to be king of them one day!"
Kiara nodded, smiling down at her son. "And I'm sure you'll be a very good king, especially with your father to teach you so well." Kiara smirked at Kovu, who returned her look. He always managed to cheer her up, even if she was having a rough time with things. And now was one of those moments.
"You run along now Kimoni," Kiara told him. The prince nodded, and bounded off down the rocks to play with his friends, Azmera, Sauda and Marjani. Kiara watched him disappear and then made her way over to Kovu. The king smiled at his mate, but the smile faded quickly.
"Kiara, what's wrong?"
Kiara sighed, and sat down, looking out over the Pride Lands. "Rafiki just returned from visiting the floxes," she began. "He brought very bad news with him."
Kovu sat in silence as Kiara related the news of the death of Anis and many of his floxes, Jayson becoming the new leader, and the Black Pride coming out into the open. Kovu frowned, his heart sinking. Were they always going to be forced to be at war with someone? Once Kiara finished, Kovu motioned for her to follow him, and they went down to speak to the other lionesses. Kovu ordered that anything out of the ordinary be reported, and that the lionesses keep a closer watch on the cubs.
Time passed in the Pride Lands and nothing strange happened. Kovu spent the days with his son, teaching him about being a king and how to treat all the animals with fairness. Kovu surprised himself with how much he had learned from Simba, and how many other things he had learned as well. The king passed these things on to his son, and was proud to watch Kimoni grow up kind and compassionate. Sometimes, when Kovu had things to deal with, he would allow Kimoni to state his thoughts, and often let him choose the final result. And always nearby, Kiara watched with joy, as she saw her mate and son bond. She had always hoped that Kovu would be able to find the strength to be a good king, and with her father's teaching and Kovu's experience, she had watched him become an amazing king. Sometimes, the animals whispered that he reminded them of Mufasa, but without his famous temper.
And it was true. Kovu had become a wise and understanding king.
Deep in the jungle, another creature was becoming a strong and good leader. Jayson, leader of the floxes, had managed to bring his pack safely to a secluded spot in the jungle, and there they built a home together. At first, Jayson's leg prevented him from helping, so he spent time with the elders and the cubs. The young flox found that the tales the elders told, and the things they had experienced helped to give him confidence and knowledge about the lands around them.
As they had journeyed through the jungle, Jayson had searched until he found the right place. It was a small clearing, surrounded by trees and thick brush. At one side of the clearing, a large group of rocks stood together. Jayson found that it resembled the great Pride Rock he had often gazed at with his father. Knowing that this was the place, Jayson halted the pack and ordered that the floxes dig holes – burrows, as he called them. It took a while, but soon the floxes were able to retreat safely into the burrows, and sleep comfortably in them at night.
As the days wore on in the jungle, the floxes began to feel more comfortable with their home, and they began to feel joy once more. Jayson's leg healed, and he began to travel through the forest, getting to know the surroundings. Often, he arranged groups to go out on patrols and search for signs of the Black Pride, but they didn't find a thing. Since the terrible night at the pond, the Black Pride had disappeared from sight.
In fact, since the move they had only spotted one lion – an old brown lioness, with a notch in one ear. It had been near a river, far from the floxes new home. Jayson and the others with him had crept carefully forwards, but found the lioness's body to be cold and still. Whatever the reason, the lioness had died alone and her face seemed quite unhappy. Their hearts filling with compassion, Jayson and the others dug a grave for the lioness, and placed her body in it before turning for home. What they hadn't realized, was that the spot the lioness had chosen to die in was very close to the pond. The pond where she had first laid eyes on the jungle.
Finally, Zira was laid to rest.
