Kiara awoke with a start. She thought she had heard someone walking around Priderock, but she couldn't be sure...
Ndume came out of another cave. "It can't be this hard to find that cave," Ndume thought, growing frustrated. He sat down for a minute, trying to catch his breath. "I can't waste time like this,' Ndume thought coldly, "I have to find him before anyone wakes up." Ndume got up, and started his search again, determined to make Kovu show his true self to Kiara once and for all...
Kiara tried to get back to sleep, but she couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right. "Maybe I should check things out," Kiara thought, not really sure what she was looking for, or if there was anything to look for at all. She blinked, trying to wake up. She looked around the den again. Kiara couldn't be sure with Husudu's pride, but it looked like a lion was missing. Feeling panic rise inside her, she tried to figure out why a missing lion was important. She got up, looking at each of the lions in turn...
A satisfied grin spread across Ndume's face. He saw the two lionesses that were guarding where that malignant outlander slept. He approached it calmly, feeling his anticipation rise with each step he took. "If Kovu won't come clean on his own, this could get tricky," Ndume thought, half-hoping it would come to that...
"My father is her, Husudu, his lions..." Kiara gasped as she realized who wasn't here. "Ndume is gone!" she thought, her panic rising like a tidal wave in her. She bolted out of the den, dreading her worst fears about the Fertilanders were about to come true...
"Let me pass," Ndume issued the order calmly. The lionesses, fully alert, parted easily. Ndume walked into the dark cave, although the sun was starting to cast its glow as a new day approached. "Wake up," he said, his voice becoming icy. He saw Kovu start to rise...
Kiara thought she could smell her friend. She looked out farther onto the tall grass, suddenly remembering a hunting trick her mom had taught her. The sun's first feeble rays made the dew shine like diamonds, leaving a clear, dull path that showed her exactly where Ndume had gone. "You don't know if you're right yet," she told herself, not believing it even as the words came out of her mouth...
"What are you doing here?" Kovu asked angrily. Ndume saw his eyes fleeting around the cave, searching for...someone. Ndume let out a knowing laugh. "Give it up, Outlander," he said, Kovu rising angrily to his paws, "you're not fooling anyone." Kovu looked generally confused, Ndume losing his resolve. "What are you talking about? Where is Kiara?!" Kovu demanded. Ndume narrowed his eyes. It looked Kovu might want to do this the hard way...
Kiara cursed her luck. "The night animals must be heading home," she thought as she saw at least five new trials intertwine with Ndume's before separating again. She closed her, eyes trying to remember where Kovu was being kept...
"You are going to be leaving here today," Ndume explained. Kovu narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "To where?' he asked, his voice tight as he tried keep his anger at Ndume in check, although Kovu wondered if all the times Ndume had had him pinned were just luck...
"Ndume!" Kiara called, even though she knew it was stupid. Ndume had made it pretty clear to her he didn't want to be found...
"Ndume!" a cry rang in Ndume and Kovu's ears. Kiara was looking for him. "Kiara!" Kovu exclaimed joyously, while Ndume turned to his father's lionesses. "Make sure she won't find us," Ndume said as he turned back to Kovu. Kovu eyes burned with hate and worry. "What are you going to do to her?!" he roared, getting ready to attack Ndume. "She'll be fine," Ndume assured him...
The two lionesses weaved through the grass; completely obliterating what was left of the dew. Satisfied with their work, the raced back to their posts, their wet coats taking on a slight sheen in the sun's few rays...
Kiara let out a frustrated growl. She had picked a trail at random and followed it this far, but every drop of dew was gone from the blades of grass. She suddenly screwed her eyes shut as she smelled wet fur, trying to tell where it came from...
"You are going to the Fertilands, where you will stay until we decide what to finally do with you..." Ndume said sneering as he began to circle Kovu, waiting for the dark lion to make his move. An angry growl rose in Kovu, but he kept his eyes on Ndume, anger enhancing his senses. "I'm not a going anywhere with you, not when your pride is watching Kiara's every move!" Ndume's eyes flared with anger. "Why do you still pretend to care about her!? I love her!! You can't feel a thing in your black heart, not for your pride, not for your family, and especially not for Kiara!" Ndume roared. Kovu felt his anger rise in him, and he was about to lose control of it. He felt for Kiara more than he had ever felt for anyone in his life! His claws gleamed in the sun's rays, the dawn staining the sky a fiery red...
Kiara turned until she could follow the scent further. She opened her eyes, a determined and smug expression on her face. "You think you're so smart," she muttered to herself as she broke into a run, the scent becoming stronger with each bound...
The two lions stopped, their eyes burning into each other with enormous hate. "You will you tell Kiara your true intentions," Ndume ordered, his voice thick with authority and anger. Kovu bared his fangs. "My intentions, right now, are to make sure you can't lift a claw against her or our pride." Ndume hunched his shoulders, ready to attack. Kovu did the same...
Kiara's grin grew wider as she finally saw the two lionesses that guarded Kovu. "I might reach him on time!" Then she smelled Ndume, and could see the lionesses had been expecting her. She felt terror surge in her live a violent storm, but she pushed it aside, concentrating on getting past the lionesses. She sped up, hoping to barge past them like she had before. They were ready...
Ndume shifted his weight at the last second, Kovu watching closely. "His right side is stronger!" Kovu realized...
Kiara leapt over the lionesses as they crouched to stop. She landed shakily on her paws, getting ready to stand between Kovu and Ndume. "Ah!" Kiara exclaimed as one of the lionesses landed on top of her, knocking the wind out of her. She craned her neck to see Ndume and Kovu were ready to attack. "Kovu!" she called out hoarsely...
Kovu tore his eyes away from Ndume, looking at Kiara. Completely forgetting about Ndume, he ran to Kiara. Ndume let out a fierce roar as he stopped Kovu, pinning him yet again. "You're not going anywhere!" Ndume said fiercely. Kovu's eyes flashed with an angry fire. "Not this time!" Kovu shouted as he threw Ndume off of him. Ndume lashed out with his paw, barely missing Kovu...
Kiara suddenly pushed the lioness off her. She quickly stood up, in the lionesses' way of helping Ndume hurt Kovu. She desperately wanted to help Kovu, but that would put her and her mate against Ndume and his lionesses. She stood her ground, the lionesses facing her. "Stand aside," one of them ordered. Kiara's eyes flashed as they tried to order her around...
Ndume grunted as Kovu threw him into the cave wall. "He's better than I thought," Ndume thought as Kovu rushed at him. Ndume met him head on. He and Kovu rolled under each other, neither able to pin the other down...
Kiara didn't flinch as the lionesses began to advance towards her. She tried to figure out which one would be harder to stop, but she had never been trained to fight, only to hunt. "Maybe I can use that," Kiara realized as the lionesses took a step closer. She flexed her claws, ready to spring at the closest one...
Kovu felt himself fall slightly unconscious as Ndume pinned him onto the cave wall. He felt a trickle of blood seep through his mane. Ndume smirked grimly. "How does it feel?" he asked satisfied. The smirk wavered as Kovu roared and dug his claw's into Ndume's face, Ndume releasing Kovu. Kovu felt a small satisfaction as he saw a drop of blood slither out of the cut above Ndume's eyebrow. Ndume glanced back at the three lionesses. "Don't hurt her," he ordered as he saw they were ready to fight. Kovu threw himself at Ndume, Ndume ending up sprawled under his claws. "He won't win," Kovu thought determinedly...
Kiara glared at the lionesses, not sure if she could only delay them for a few minutes before they could help Ndume. Kiara suddenly turned to face Ndume and Kovu. "Stop this!" she roared furiously and desperately at Ndume, although her roar was not her own, and it sounded as though if was pure fury...
Kovu struggled to keep Ndume under him. Suddenly, a massive paw came down on his head. Kovu's vision blurred, catching one last glance at Kiara before he felt his world go black...
"Kovu!" Kiara roared in despair as she saw his body go limp. She furiously pushed the lioness off her, running to him. Ndume got in her way. She felt her anger flare. "Move," she ordered. Ndume shook his head solemnly, his breathing heavy after his fight. "He's not dead," Husudu assured Kiara as he came away from Kovu. Kiara's own vision was blurry with tears.
She threw herself past Ndume, only to come face to face with Husudu. She saw his eyes had a strange sympathy in them, and she didn't want it. "Leave us alone!" she roared, her emotions becoming uncontrollable. She felt her tears roll down her muzzle, but she didn't care. Husudu stood aside, Ndume's objection silenced by his father. She nuzzled Kovu fiercely. "Please wake up," she whispered desperately. Kovu gave a small sigh...
Husudu nodded at one of his lionesses. "Get Rafiki. We'll have to wait to make our journey at least until the Outlander wakes up." Kiara glanced at him, confused. "What does Husudu really want for us?' she wondered. She pushed the thought aside. For now, all she cared about was Kovu...
Ok, just so things are clear, Husudu was the one who knocked Kovu out. He came into the cave probably right after Kovu thought Ndume wouldn't win the fight. One of the lionesses tackled Kiara after she turned her back to yell at Ndume. Ok, anything else? Please review :.)