"Kiara, you've got to be more careful." Simba lectured, helping Kovu balance the struggling Queen as they returned from the Outlands. Erevu and Vitani tagged along behind.
"They had Maisha, I know they did!" Kiara insisted.
"Kiara!" Nala came running over. "What happened?" She asked Simba.
"Well," Simba gazed at his mate uneasily. "We found a pride of lions in the Outlands. We only saw a few, though. They may just be passing by." He suggested.
"No, no, no!" Kiara stepped forward. "It was a pride, definitely a pride!"
Kovu touched his muzzle to Kiara's fur. "We can't be too sure."
"I can't imagine any pride wanting to settle there." Vitani spoke up.
"Perhaps," Simba eyed the two siblings in deep thought. "They didn't have a choice..." His ruby red eyes seemed to darken.
"You mean..." Vitani's words trailed off.
"they were banished there?" Kovu finished his sister's question.
"Yes." Simba sat down and rapped his tail in a curve in the lush grass.
"Or they just like it there." Kiara growled.
"Impossible," Kovu glared at her for a moment, surprising everyone to realize that the gleam in his eye had vanished. He looked much more serious now, and the softness for his mate had gone out.
"The Outsiders would have striked faster if they wanted to leave," Kiara pointed out. "Maybe this pride likes the Outlands...just as the Outsiders did."
Kovu let out a low growl, as did Vitani, and both siblings stormed off in the same direction.
"Kiara," Nala said sternly. "That is no way to talk about them. You do realize that we have former Outsiders living in our pride, don't you?"
"They're all considered Pridelanders now," Kiara shot back. "They shouldn't care."
Erevu stepped in between the quarreling lionesses. "At this rate, we wont find Maisha at all. Please, can't we just push our differences aside until after Maisha is found?"
A hushed silence fell over the three Pridelanders as they stared into the eyes of the former rogue. The way he just said, "differences", clicked something into all their minds.
"He's right." Nala murmured.
Kiara gazed down at her paws. "I feel horrible."
"Look," Simba dipped his head to Erevu then turned to his mate and daughter. "If you believe he is right, then we should begin our search again in the morning."
"Yes, let's." Nala nodded her agreement. "Kiara, get Kovu and Vitani. Apologize to them for what you said," She narrowed her blue eyes. "And tell them that we are going to sleep now."
"Okay," Kiara sighed, running off in the direction from which Kovu and Vitani stormed off in.
"I hope they find your sister," Tia said in a worried tone.
Joka could tell that she was faking it, just to try and win his heart. This angered him a bit. You're either worried for her, or you're not. He thought bitterly.
Joka, Nafisa, Taja, Tia and Penda were lounging in the very front of Pride Rock. Though, it wasn't the same without Maisha. Even after a day, Joka already missed her, as did every lion who knew her long enough to love her.
Joka lowered his now greenish-blue gaze to his paws, his ears flattening. Nafisa laid next to him, placing her paw on top of his to try and comfort him. Joka had to admit; he was far more grateful for Nafisa's company than Tia's or Penda's,
"Ah, it'll be all right, buddy." Taja said in an almost forced soothing tone.
and Taja's was much appreciated too. For Joka had never heard the rough male talk so gently to him. The tan furred lion was bent over his friend, his ears flattened against his head as if he missed Maisha just as much as Joka did.
As much as Maisha and Nafisa had had their quarrels, Nafisa even looked shaken up about the russet furred lioness's disappearance.
Joka pricked his ears upward to the smell and sound of his father's approach, Aunt Vitani at his side.
"Father," Joka swung his head around. "Any luck?"
Kovu lowered his head and glumly shook it.
"Ugh," Joka sighed and placed his head back down on his paws.
Nafisa touched her nose to his shoulder and slowed her breath to a certain pace to match Joka's. She felt so bad for him! She wished she could cheer him up some how.
"Don't worry, Joka." Vitani sat down next to her nephew. "Almost every lion is on the case. They wont rest until she is found."
"Good." Joka murmured, barely lifting his head to speak.
The sky was getting darker by the minute and Kiara came padding up to them.
"Kovu, Vitani," She murmured.
Vitani glanced back, her violet-blue gaze clouded with hurt. Kovu sheilded his sister protectively and narrowed his greenish-blue gaze at Kiara.
"Look," Kiara stepped directly in front of them. "I'm sorry. I guess..Maisha's disappearance is really getting to me. I never thought one of my cubs would go missing. So, the thought just enraged me to think that I was a..."
"Go on." Kovu urged.
"a...a bad mother." Kiara finished.
Both Kovu's and Vitani's eyes softened.
"You're not a bad mother." Kovu said.
"What happened to you three?" Joka asked in a faint tone.
"Nothing concerning you," Vitani replied gently. "Now, you guys go off somewhere else. We're going to bed, but I suppose you guys could stay up for a while longer."
"Right," Kovu glanced back at his son. "You especially, Joka."
"Okay, father." Joka dipped his head and watched as Kovu, Kiara and Vitani walked back to the cave where Simba, Nala and Erevu were waiting.
"Come on," Joka looked at his group of friends. "Wanna go to the waterhole?"
"Anywhere with you, Joka." Penda said in a flirting tone.
"Oh, brother." Taja rolled his eyes.
"Let's go." Joka muttered, ignoring Penda's flirt and padding off.
Nafisa gingerly following after.
"How do you suppose you could have gotten it?" Badrani asked anxiously.
"I don't know." Maisha stammered. "I...I must have scrached myself while I was asleep."
"I don't think you could have gotten a cut that deep and bloody by simply scraching yourself while asleep. Weren't you going to hunt, anyway?" Badrani pointed out. Before Maisha could reply, he added, "Come on, let's go get that wound treated."
Maisha sighed and followed after her traveling companion. She was lucky to have him. She couldn't imagine how bad things would be without him there. But she was also relieved that he hadn't asked about a dream of any sort. If he did, he would have thought Maisha had gone mad.
Cheja's whole body seemed flat in deep undergrowth, crouching next to Kafara.
"How do we enter?" He asked. "We can't just barge in."
"They'll find us." Kafara reassured him. "We need to stand at their borderline and wait for a patrol of theirs' to walk by. They wont be able to miss us." He glanced to the left and motioned his head whispering, "Follow me." They crept away.
"There," Badrani had just finished padding the blood with shreds of moss. "I don't know much about healing. But I think that should do it."
"At least the blood wont irritate it's own cut." Maisha muttered matter-of-factly.
"Come now. It isn't that bad." Badrani said in a more laid back voice. He settled himself down into the grass. "So...did you catch anything?"
Maisha flashed him a stern glare and grumbled, "No."
"Ah, don't worry. I'm on it. You just stay here." Badrani ordered, turning tail quickly and running off.
Maisha sighed in boredom. This wasn't exactly what she called excitement at all, as Rafiki spoke of danger. Perhaps danger was yet to come. Maisha just hoped that it didn't cause as much pain as it all ready had.
Night had struck. Joka and the whole rest of the pride were now lying in the cave. Kovu and Kiara were sleeping together peacefully on the raised platform, where royalty sleeps. Joka and Maisha used to sleep right next to them as cubs, but they didn't fancy that now. Joka noticed how Maisha usually slept alone near the wall, and Tia and Penda would edge closer to himself each night. Attention was the only thing Joka had ever gotten. While Maisha was far more independent. Joka somewhat envyed her and her privacy, while his own was usually invaded. Tia seemed to move even closer, though her eyes were closed. Joka gently moved away from her, realizing with a jolt of surprise that he had moved up into Nafisa's chest fur. The sandy furred lioness's icy-blue eyes barely opened, but then closed again. Joka let out a sigh of relief and pulled himself a little away from her, and then soon enough, fell asleep, despite his worries for his sister.
He woke in a foggy clearing, lying on damp earth.
What the? Joka staggered to his paws, glancing around. Where am I?
"Good question," Someone answered his thoughts.
"Huh?" Joka squinted, making out the figure of a lion coming towards him. "Who are you?" He demanded.
"That is no ones business, nor your own, besides your sister, of course." A russet furred male lion with a black mane. A bit of the mane over his head looked as though it were blown back. His green eyes glinted, a scar across his right eye.
"My sister? Maisha? D-do you know where she is?" Joka asked hopefully.
"Yes." The male replied. "On a journey to fullfill my dying wish. The wish I hardly got to wish for before I died. You might just be proud of her, if your parents, especially...Kovu," He let out a low growl. "taught you anything about power, control, dominance." He finished, his eyes wild with cruel pleasure.
"If you know where she is, tell me." Joka pleaded, ignoring the male's whole speech, besides the answer to his question: 'yes'. "Please, I must know."
The male only chuckled. "You'll know soon enough."
"I want to know now though." Joka growled.
Before Joka could prevent it, the male vanished from sight, and Joka woke up, still night time. He glanced around the cave anxiously, comforted by the sight of his parents sleeping together across the cave. Joka let out a gentle sigh and rested his head on his paws again, drifting off to sleep once more.
Maisha woke up, Badrani close at her side. He had fetched enough kill for both of them to eat, and they were now full. Badrani groggly gazed up at Maisha as she prodded his side with her paw.
"Get up." She said.
"All right, all right." Badrani yawned.
He rose to his paws and looked around. "We shouldn't stay here long."
"Why not? Eh, I mean...we need to leave anyway." Maisha replied unsurely.
"Come on. The next pride territory is near. I know my way around this place like the back of my paw." Badrani told her, padding past and in front of Maisha, taking the lead.
Cheja stood beside Kafara, the two males at the very borderline of a pride.
When Kafara lifted his head to smell the air, Cheja's hopes went up. A mocha furred lioness appeared from across the border, her tail beginning to lash when she saw them. She came over and looked both of them over, her amber eyes narrowing.
"Madam," Kafara dipped his head in deep respect. "We wish to speak with your leader." He said in a formal mannor.
Cheja nodded eagerly. "Yeah. What he said."
"Hmm," The lioness gazed at them in contempt. "Why?"
"Our leader has a proposition for you, as well as the rest of our pride. Now, if you'll be ever so kind as to lead us to your camp." Kafara suggested innocently.
After a pause, the lioness slowly nodded. "Fine. We'll look over whatever you offer in care." Cheja could tell she found it hard not to lunge.
The lioness motioned her head to follow her, and so they did. Across the borderline, up mounds of earth, and through much undergrowth. They arrived in an open clearing where many lions were. Out of them all, a white male lion stepped from a large cave at the very end of the clearing, his grayish-blue gaze curiously flashing over Cheja and Kafara.
"Russlete," He stepped from his rocky platform and padded over. "Who are these two young lions?"
The lioness, obviously named Russlete, stood tall in a formal mannor and replied, "They say they have a proposition for you, sir."
"Really?" The male turned to Kafara. "What are you called?"
"Kafara, your magesty." Kafara dipped his head, figuring the white furred male was king. An odd sort he was, though. "And he," He turned to Cheja. "Is Cheja, my former apprentice."
"I am Blizzaere," The white male nodded. "King of the 'Pride Of Known Pasts'".
"It is truly an honer. Now, may we speak to you in your den?" Kafara questioned.
"Yes." Blizzaere seemed unsure of this, but he let Kafara and Cheja through and into his den. He turned toward them once they got deep enough into the cave. "What is it you would like to speak to me about?"
"Our leader, Lord Gyasi, has sent Cheja and I to confirm an alliance between the 'Pride Of Known Pasts' and our pride, the 'Pride Of Usiku Stalkers'."
Blizzaere looked surprised and somewhat doubtful at the same time. "Why?"
"Lord Gyasi promises peace, from here on out between our prides." Kafara replied.
"Our prides have never clashed in battle before." Blizzaere pointed out.
"Yes, but prides can clash at any times. Even if they are far apart in territory. We live over the distant mountains."
"Over the mountains?" Blizzaere exclaimed, his grayish-blue eyes widening. "We should have never even crossed paths! You come to build an alliance when we wish to stay here, where we are safe and happy."
"That is not the only request," Kafara stepped forward. "We are in need of more members. If we must, we will travel here to take you along with us. A feirce battle, able to wipe out many, has been taken to our lands. We are forced to fight against the ones who invade us, leaving us nearly defensless. We are in dire need of more lions to help us."
"Why drag my pride into a war that isn't theirs'?" Blizzaere snarled.
"Please," Kafara pleaded. "We've viewed each pride in the entire Kingdom Of Maziwa, and yours' has turned out strongest." He lied.
"Hmm," Blizzaere eyed the two suspiciously.
"We need your help." Kafara pressed.
Cheja blinked. His former mentor was sure good at pleading. This, Cheja had thought with a growl, was not a good thing at times.
"I will speak to my adviser about this." Blizzaere decided firmly. He stepped closer. "You may stay for the night. I promise I'll have an answer by morning."