Chapter 21: We Are Two
"Oh man," Sora yowled, starting to pace anxiously in front of the black Commsphere screen. "Oh man, oh man, oh man."
"Don't worry, Sora," Kairi purred reassuringly. "They'll be okay."
"I know but...oh man, I hate waiting," he moaned. "And our time is going the fastest, so we'll have to wait even longer."
"Worrying about it will just make it worse," Jiminy said from within Sora's shaggy mane. "Visiting Simba will help take your mind off this."
"He's right, you know," Yuna inserted, zipping jerkily around Sora's head as only a dragonfly would and making his eyes spin.
"I know," Sora sighed. They just didn't appreciate how unpredictable death was. Granted, Sora hadn't mentioned Joan's memory. He'd told them the important stuff, like the time screw-up, but he didn't want to burden them with the unnecessary, grim details.
Still pacing uneasily, he headed towards a brown expanse separated from the Pride Lands by a river, then about-faced back towards Pride Rock. As he started another cycle, he saw something that stopped his heart, and his feet. He gasped as he saw flames start to flicker in that brown land.
Kairi looked worriedly at him, then followed his gaze. "Sora!" she cried. "That lioness we saw hunting went over there. We have to warn Simba."
The flames spread at an alarming rate, devouring the dry grass hungrily. "There's no time," he said anxiously. "You go warn Simba. I'm going after her."
Sora tore off in the direction of the river and the wasteland beyond it without waiting for Kairi's answer. The bank drew closer, but Sora just sped up. One last burst of speed brought him to the edge. Just as Nala had taught him, he used his powerful hind legs to propel him all the way to the opposite bank. His claws dug into the baked earth and he skidded to a halt.
"Too bad Axel's not here," Sora muttered, gazing somberly around as the fire raged on all sides. "We could use his help."
"He won't be helping anyone again, unfortunately," Jiminy whispered sadly into Sora's ear.
Sora said nothing, but ran off in the direction that the lioness had gone. If Ansem's apprentices were alive again, why wouldn't the rest of Organization XIII be also? It was an optimistic thought, even for Sora. If they were still alive, they were probably scattered across the worlds. The chances of finding them were slim.
The heat soon pushed all other thoughts out of Sora's mind. He had to find that lioness before they both died. Through the smoke that clouded Sora's senses, he could discern a large rock formation jutting out of the landscape, high enough to escape the ravaging fire. A sleek figure jumped out of the flames and clawed for the edge. The figure scrambled frantically on the rock face before finally pushing itself over the top and collapsing. The lioness!
Sora tried to sprint to her aide, but the smoke and ash in the air made it difficult to breathe. His muscles screamed in protest from the lack of oxygen, but Sora pushed on. While her height protected her from the flames, the lioness was still in danger of suffocating in the smothering smoke.
A floating mask wreathed in blue flame rammed Sora's side, knocking him off his feet. "Shaman," Sora coughed weakly, pushing himself to his paws and summoning his Keyblade.
Limbs sprouted from the mask as the Heartless regained its normal form, looking uncomfortably similar to Rafiki. He unleashed a powerful, fatal combo before the Shaman could perform any of its irritating voodoo, or worse, find a Living Bone to saddle up. He shuddered at the thought.
A coughing fit racked Sora's body, causing him to drop his Keyblade. Its characteristic swirling lights blended perfectly into the warped air caused by the heat of the flames. "Should've known the Heartless were behind this," Sora berated himself quietly.
He looked towards the rock formation and was surprised to see another male lion climbing down its side, the lioness hanging limply on his back. The newcomer was darker in color than most lions, like Scar had been. That didn't worry Sora so much. It was the fierce, wild look in his eyes that worried Sora.
Sora dashed towards the male lion as his paws touched the ground. "This way!" he cried, summoning his Keyblade and casting Blizzaga towards the river. The spell shot off through the flames, melting as it went and dousing a path for them. For a moment, the other lion just stared at the Keyblade with something that looked almost like disgust, but he shook it off and started moving.
The smoke was so thick now that Sora wouldn't have been able to see a thing even if he could've pried open his stinging eyes. Because of this, he was surprised when his paws landed on air instead of earth and he tumbled headlong into the still river. The cold water was enough to clear his smoke-muddled head. Paddling madly for the surface, Sora broke through and gasped down the wonderfully clean air hovering over the water.
His celebration was cut short when an irritated voice huffed, "Help me." The voice sounded so much like Max that Sora actually looked around for Goofy's son before realizing that the male lion had spoken. He was struggling through the water with the unconscious lioness. Together, they managed to drag her to the Pride Lands's shore.
"Whew! That was close," Sora coughed tiredly, collapsing onto the sand. "The name's Sora. How about you?"
The lion sneered at Sora on the ground and planted his feet more firmly, ignoring his exhaustion. Apparently, he was not impressed with Sora's display of weakness. "Kovu," he said.
Suddenly, the lioness coughed and pushed herself up, swaying unsteadily. "Woah there," Sora cried, rising. "Take it easy. That fire almost got you." He went over to give her a steadying arm, then remembered he didn't have arms and quickly tried to figure out a way to compensate. The point became moot quickly, however.
"I'm fine," she growled stubbornly, jerking away.
"Thanks to us," Kovu snorted indignantly. "If we hadn't gotten you back to the Pride Lands –"
"The Pride Lands?" she yowled. "Why did you take me to the Pride Lands?"
Kovu's mouth opened in disbelief. "Maybe because it wasn't burning?"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Sora intervened, wedging himself between them. "Why don't we start over? Hi, my name's Sora. What's yours?"
"Kiara," she snapped.
"See, that wasn't so hard," Sora chided. He gestured at Kovu. "This is my friend –"
"I don't care who he is!" Kiara yelled at the same time Kovu bit, "We're not friends."
Sora groaned. Why did both of them have to be so difficult? "Well I thought 'acquaintance' was too weak a word after what we just went through. How is it that a language with so many words can be incapable of describing so many things?"
Kiara rolled her eyes and made to leave, but Kovu blocked her way. She glared at him and hopped quickly to the side in an attempt to get around him, but he easily followed her movements. She tried again...and again...until Kovu finally raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you doing?"
Kiara's hostility instantly vanished and her ears perked up hopefully. "Kovu?" she risked hesitantly. He just smirked at her in confirmation.
"Wait, you guys know each other?" Sora groaned incredulously.
They were spared from explaining when someone overhead cried, "Over here, sire!" Sora glanced up to see Zazu, the blue hornbill that was Simba's major domo. Moments later, Simba came crashing through the grass, followed shortly by Kairi, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of his pride.
Her expression darkening again, Kiara frowned at Simba. "Father, why did you lie to me?" she accused. Sora suppressed another groan, this time cursing the time screw-up. Enough time had passed here for Nala's unborn baby to grow into a young lioness.
"To keep Outsiders like him away from you," Simba snarled, baring his teeth at Kovu. "You are not to go hunting again alone, especially not in the Outlands."
"What?" Kiara cried in outrage.
"Simba, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Kairi asked gently. Simba's eyes stayed fixed on Kovu; he only indicated that he had heard Kairi by flicking his ears in her direction. "It's not like the fire was her fault."
"Yeah," Sora said hastily, picking up Kairi's argument. "It was the Heartless, you know, those Shaman guys. And Kovu –"
"Kovu!" Simba spat. He let out a terrific roar, which was heartily returned by Kovu, creating a contest of roars between them.
"Stop it, both of you!" Sora commanded. They both immediately quieted and turned to him, looking shell-shocked at his interruption. "All this roaring is completely pointless." Now everyone else was giving him strange looks, too.
Simba shook his head and allowed a brief smile to cross his face before his fierce demeanor returned. "It's a lion thing, Sora," he explained patiently, but firmly. "Stay out of it."
"No," Sora asserted angrily, not at all happy with Simba treating him like this, like he was just a child that didn't know anything. "I won't sit back while you treat Kovu like a criminal when he's the reason your daughter is still alive."
Clapping began echoing around them at Sora's words. He looked around and spotted Rafiki, the baboon shaman, applauding from atop a boulder. "Well said, brother, well said."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked suspiciously.
The baboon grinned maniacally. "It means that we are the only two who are not baboons," he cackled madly.
Simba shot Rafiki a dirty look before staring Kovu down again. "Why did you do it?"
Kovu straightened regally. "I humbly ask to join your pride," he announced unabashedly.
"No," Simba snapped quickly. "You were banished along with the other Outsiders."
"I left the Outsiders," Kovu said simply, never once letting his posture diminish. "I am a rogue. Judge me now for who I am." Here, he sagged a bit in defeat, sighing, "Or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?"
Simba snarled and began pacing agitatedly. Fed up with Simba's stubbornness, Sora stepped in Simba's path. He lowered his head and asked quietly, "What is with you, Simba? He saved Kiara."
"He's an Outsider," Simba whispered furiously. "One of them."
"So?"
"You wouldn't understand," Simba sighed in frustration.
Sora peered earnestly into Simba's amber eyes. "Then help me understand." Simba had changed a lot from the unconfident young king Sora had known and Sora wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "Being king doesn't mean you have to do everything alone."
Simba gave Sora a helpless look that was tinged with, surprisingly enough, hatred. "Sora," he said gravely, in his quietest tone yet, "he's Scar's heir."
Taken aback, it took Sora a minute to gather his wits. He began to study Kovu in detail, opening all of his senses. Underneath the smoke smell that was heavy on everyone, Sora detected a familiar scent cloaking Kovu. It was a rotten smell that reminded him of Randall. Now that he thought about it, Scar had smelled the same way. The three scents were unique, but still similar.
Was this the darkness that Sora was smelling? Riku had mentioned this talent of his to Sora, even though it wasn't what it once was, but Riku made it seem like it stemmed from his dark powers. Perhaps Sora's heightened senses in his various forms, coupled with the growing darkness in his heart, was granting him this new ability.
Another faint scent passed over Sora's nose, almost too fleeting to catch. It was fresh and crisp, like the morning air, but was quickly overpowered by the dark stench. No matter how hard Sora strained, he couldn't pick up the second scent again. It was as if the darkness was trying to snuff it out...
Sora's head shot up in realization. "Give me a couple of days with him," Sora suggested, flashing Simba a reassuring grin. "You'll be ready to call him 'son' when I'm done with him."
Simba just snorted at the ridiculous notion, but grudgingly turned back to Kovu. "Very well. I have a debt to settle with you anyway. I withhold your judgment until a later date." He turned and headed back towards Pride Rock, not once looking back. Everyone shortly followed.
Sora sighed heavily, gazing after Simba sadly. His spirits rose marginally when Kairi nuzzled him under his chin. "You didn't tell me Simba had a daughter," she purred soothingly.
"He didn't last time I saw him," Sora replied. "In some ways, he's changed so much, but in other ways, he hasn't changed at all." He shook his head, sighing again.
"If you ask me, he's trying to be a good king and a good father at the same time, and failing miserably," Yuna inserted.
"No one did!" Sora snapped. Yuna buzzed angrily, but he ignored her.
"Calm down, Sora," Jiminy scolded. "You know as well as I do that Simba's had trouble with this from the beginning." Sora huffed, not willing to admit that Jiminy was right. "You should talk to him."
Sora lowered his head. Truthfully, Sora didn't want to talk to the King of Pride Rock, he wanted to talk to his friend. Unfortunately, it didn't look like that would happen. It had to be done, though, so Sora took a deep breath and trotted to Simba's side. The king was walking stiffly and didn't even glance at Sora.
"Hey," Sora said softly. "Can you come down off your throne for a minute and be my friend again?"
Simba sighed and turned to gaze at Sora. "I'm sorry, Sora," he muttered. "I know you mean well. Can you forgive me?"
One of his trademark grins growing, Sora replied, "Now that's a silly question to ask."
Simba chuckled quietly. "It's been a while." He looked Sora over quickly and frowned in confusion, "Or has it?"
"Time is all screwed up between the worlds," Sora groaned. "A month on one world might be years on another."
Looking at Sora in astonishment, Simba whispered, "Altering time itself? I can't even imagine how strong someone would have to be to do that."
"...I know," Sora admitted even more quietly. Seeing Adam nearly die and witnessing Joan's memory had brought the possibility of death to the forefront of Sora's mind. More importantly, it evoked a new, unfamiliar emotion in Sora's heart: doubt. Hearing the truth voiced by Simba, one of many who relied on Sora's unwavering confidence, sent fear coursing through his veins and shivers down his spine.
"Suddenly my problems seem small," Simba muttered regretfully.
"They still exist, though," Sora pointed out, quashing his own concerns with great effort. He needed to focus on the problem at hand, not worry about what the future might bring.
"What do you see in him?" Simba asked. The notion that Kovu was anything but evil seemed incomprehensible to him.
With a humorous grin, Sora said, "Trust me, Simba, my nose knows."
Simba pierced Sora with a stern glare. "You're basing your judgement on the way he smells?"
"That..." Sora muttered pensively, "...and he reminds me of Riku."
They'd reached the entrance to the den tucked away in the crags of Pride Rock. Simba turned to Sora with a resigned look on his face. "I hope you know what you're doing," he sighed.
"Not really," Sora admitted brightly, "but when do I ever?"
He offered Simba a reassuring grin to ease his worries. It worked for a while, until Kovu walked up the path. He was following the line of lions into the cave. Simba snarled and headed Kovu off. "Not you," he growled, rudely pushing past and entering the den.
Kovu snorted angrily and headed towards the lee of a boulder. With a resigned sigh, he plopped onto his stomach.
Out of a sense of duty to Simba, Sora walked to Kovu, giving him a warm smile. "You'll have to excuse Simba," Sora explained, "he's a bit stressed."
"A bit?" Kovu sneered, placing his head on his paws. One eye lazily regarded Sora. "What kind of a lion are you, anyway?"
A wry smile curled Sora's lips. "One of a kind."
Kairi and Kiara ambled over, chatting amiably. As soon as Kiara noticed Kovu, she fell silent, smiling shyly. "Thanks," she murmured with a slight giggle, "...for before, you know?"
"I remember," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Some hunter you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiara snapped angrily, forgetting to be shy.
"I bet you couldn't catch a sick wildebeest on a cloudy day," Kovu boldly challenged, a smug smile in place.
"Hmph!" she snorted, glowering at the moron digging his own grave. "If you're so spectacular, then I bet you could turn me into a decent hunter easily," she asserted slyly.
Kovu's grin grew even more smug. "I bet I could," he anted up with an obnoxious amount of confidence.
"You're on!" Kiara called in triumph. "You, me, water hole, dawn." Without waiting for a response, she spun and headed in for the night, her tail high in the air.
"Uh..." Sora stammered, caught off guard by the rapid change of events and Kiara's abrupt departure. "Good luck with that."
"I eagerly await it," Kovu said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, though he smirked in a sinisterly triumphant way.
"Good night," Kairi said politely as she and Sora began to cross the awkward distance to the den.
A strong wind gusted from Sora's left, a handful of maroon leaves and white pieces of fuzz dancing on the air currents. It reminded of him of potpourri. The notion was so ridiculous, he chuckled quietly. The potpourri swirled around his mane and curled around his nose before dancing on. Sora coughed. It certainly didn't smell like potpourri. His nose picked up the musky scent of lion and the foul scent of darkness.
As discretely as possible, so as not to alert Kairi, he glanced in the direction the wind had blown from. Far in the distance, he made out two shadowy figures keeping vigil in the branches of a tree. Another strong gust of wind rustled the leaves, bringing the same scent again.
He glanced back at Kovu, already sleeping peacefully. The poor, unfortunate soul was just a pawn in an evil plot, a tool for the darkness. If nothing was done soon, he would be completely consumed.
"Not if I can help it," Sora growled quietly. He understood now what that second, fainter scent was. It was Kovu's light, the light deep down that never goes out, still fighting hard to break through the darkness encasing it. All Sora needed to do was fuel its fire.
First thing first, though. Sora had to figure out what Kovu was planning...
The air was still and stifling as the sun rose the next morning, painting the sky with brilliant oranges, reds, and pinks. Perfect. Kovu could care less about the beautiful colors; the only color he wanted to see was the red of Simba's blood. The conditions were excellent for hunting, though. With no wind, there would be nothing to carry Kovu's scent or noises to Simba.
His length shivered in anticipation and he began kneading the ground to ease his restlessness, as well as to get a feel for the terrain. Little did the false king know that he was being watched while he drank from the water hole. Soon, Simba would be no more and Kovu would take his rightful place on the throne. Kovu would be King of Pride Rock. It was destiny.
Simba raised his head and glanced around uneasily, as one does when one feels like one is being watched. Finding nothing, he continued lapping up the sweet liquid. Much to his chagrin, Kovu found himself admiring Simba's instincts. It pleased him to know that his opponent was a worthy one. But...business was business...
A peculiar sensation crawled up Kovu's spine, causing another shiver to take hold of him. Kovu looked around, as Simba had done, dreading the potential, terrible irony of the situation. Opening all of his senses, Kovu quickly, but carefully, examined his surroundings. Once satisfied that no one was watching him, he returned to the task at hand.
If his mother, Zira, hadn't taught him so well, Kovu might have yowled in surprise and alerted Simba to his presence. As it was, Kovu calmly raised his hackles and bared his teeth in a soundless growl at the unwelcome guest. That poor excuse for a lion – if you could call him that – was standing between Kovu and the water hole, blocking Kovu's view of Simba. What was his name? Sora?
Sora gazed at Kovu with an emotion that Kovu couldn't immediately identify. It was so familiar... Kiara... She had looked at him that way...so long ago...as their parents took them away.... His chest began aching as he remembered that day from his childhood. Then, his mother's image burst clearly into his mind. It drove everything else out, focusing his thought back on his goal and the obstacle before him.
"You don't have to do it," Sora whispered sadly. The strength of the emotion was hypnotizing.
"Do what?" Kovu found himself answering.
"Kill Simba."
Compromised! "It is my destiny to become king," Kovu growled, unsheathing his claws. He needed to figure out a way to deal with Sora quickly without exposing himself to Simba. "Stay out of my way."
A knowing grin slowly spread over Sora's face. "Destiny has a funny way of working out, sometimes," he said mysteriously. His expression grew somber once more. "I'm not going to tell Simba," Sora confided with such an honest air that Kovu had no doubts about the truth of Sora's words, "but if you try to hurt Simba..." Sora's eyes grew intense, seeming to cut through Kovu's soul with their gaze. An unbridled power began emanating from him. "...I will stop you."
Sora's gaze held him captive, erasing everything else in the world. Kovu didn't even notice a loud someone trying to approach them stealthily.
"Boo!"
Kovu whirled around in alarm and came face to face with Kiara.
"Good morning!" she crowed perkily.
Berating himself, Kovu turned back to the water hole, only to find Sora and, more importantly, Simba gone.
The echo of Sora's threat still rang in Kovu's ears. It was no idle threat, either. Sora might have been a bad lion, but he was a good whatever-he-was. Regardless, Sora was under the usurper's paw as surely as the rest of the pride. Even worse, Simba was under Sora's paw, as well. Kovu would have to tread carefully around him in the future...him and his magic stick.
A grim satisfaction settled over Sora as he joined Kairi at their pre-planned meeting spot in the savannah. It had been just a hunch at first, but following Kovu had confirmed Sora's suspicions. There was hope, though. For a brief moment, he had sensed Kovu's light again.
"So, where to first?" Kairi asked amiably, eager for Sora's tour of the savannah.
Sora grinned sheepishly. "I'm not sure, actually," he reluctantly admitted. "Everything was all brown and dead last time. All this green and water is making me lost."
"Then pick a direction," Kairi told him firmly.
"What?" Sora exclaimed. "But, the savannah's huge! We could get lost." He thought about that for a moment. "We could get more lost," he amended.
"As long as we can see Pride Rock, we'll be fine," she patiently explained. Sora opened his mouth in rebuttal, then shut it quickly. As usual, Kairi was right. She giggled and started walking. "So, what's eating Simba?"
He couldn't resist such a shining opportunity. "Nothing. He's at the top of the food chain," he joked. Kairi rolled her eyes, giving him a that's-way-too-corny-to-laugh-at look. "Alright, alright, I'll stop," he conceded. "He's just worried about Kovu is all."
"Rightly so," Jiminy muttered worriedly. "Kovu's going to murder him."
"That's not going to happen," Sora asserted firmly amid Kairi's startled gasps. "Listen. There's good in him, I can feel it. We just need to help him find it."
"I don't know..." Kairi mumbled, looking away uncertainly.
"Please, Kairi," he pleaded earnestly. His sincere tone was enough to bring her eyes back to his. He gazed into those deep, blue eyes he loved so much. "He can be saved, I know he can! But I can't do it without you." I can't do anything without you...
Her eyes grew hard with determination. "Let's do it," she said firmly. A playful gleam entered her eye. "Preferably before he kills Simba."
Sora laughed heartily, expelling all his worries. There wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish as long as they worked together. "Well, alright then," Sora cheered excitedly. "Let Operation Kovu's Light commence!"
Kairi giggled at his enthusiasm. "And just how do we do that?"
"Erm.." Sora stalled, "good question." He gave her one of his best I'm-still-cute grins.
"If only you weren't so darn cute," Kairi huffed in defeat. Score! She nuzzled him under the chin quickly, purring tenderly.
"If you ask me," Yuna interrupted, buzzing around their heads. She paused, waiting to see if Sora would snap at her again. When he didn't, she continued, "he just needs to find a good woman to whip him into shape."
"Yuna, you're a genius!" Sora exclaimed with a happy yowl. Yuna hummed happily at his compliment. "We'll just get Kovu together with Kiara."
"That shouldn't be too hard," Kairi remarked mischievously. "They're flirting enough as it is."
"Did you notice that Kiara is just Kairi with the vowels swapped?" Yuna mused randomly. "Man, I feel sorry for any sucker who has to write those names over and over again."
"No, I didn't notice that," Kairi said curiously. "That's kinda funny, actually. Kiara, Kairi, Kiara, Kairi, Kiari, Kaira, Kara..." The rest came out as a garbled mess. "Whew, that's hard to say fast, especially with all these teeth."
"Focus!" Sora yelled, finding it extremely ironic that he was the engineer keeping everyone on track. "Kovu, Kiara, together."
A thin finger attached to a thin arm snaked out of the tall grass and poked Sora square on the nose. "I like the way you think, my brother," Rafiki's voice floated out of the grass. "The question is..." The baboon shoved his face uncomfortably close to Sora's. "...how are you going to do it." As suddenly as he had appeared, Rafiki disappeared into the brush again.
Sora glanced around wildly, trying to follow Rafiki's rustling path through the grass. "I...was just...going...to wing it...," he trailed off, starting to wonder if Rafiki was even there still.
A soft humming rolled past Sora's ears and someone started playing with his tail. Looking over his shoulder, Sora found Rafiki lounging on his back. Sora's jaw dropped. How had he not noticed the shaman climb on top of him?
"No, no, that will never do," Rafiki rejected, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. "Lions don't have wings." He cackled madly and hopped to the ground.
"This guy is insane," Yuna trilled.
"Maybe," Rafiki simpered, "maybe not." He hobbled over to Yuna, grinning maniacally. "Maybe you" – he thrust his finger at her, as he'd done to Sora – "are all insane and I'm the only one who is not."
"What does this have to do with Kovu and Kiara?" Kairi asked.
"Nothing," the baboon laughed raucously.
Sora groaned angrily. "Are you going to help us with them or not?" he grumbled in irritation.
"Yes," Rafiki replied simply, leaping into a near-by copse of trees and disappearing from sight. "Until tonight," he called out of the branches. Then, he was gone.
The four of them looked at each other silently for a few moments, still digesting the shaman's eccentricities. "Is he always like that?" Kairi asked meekly.
"Pretty much," Sora sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
It seemed he wasn't the only one. "The best buffet in the Pride Lands and there's no seats open," a voice complained loudly.
"YAAAAAAAH!" hollered another voice. It sounded like a battle cry.
"Go on, ya dirty moochers, scram!"
"That's Timon and Pumbaa," Sora said excitedly. "Come on!"
He loped towards the sound of their voices coming from over a small rise. Reaching the crest, he caught a glimpse of the bird-covered backside of the hill. The next thing he knew, something big, furry, and snarling had rammed into him, sending both of them tumbling down the slope. A knot of small, grey birds squawked in protest and took flight to avoid being squashed.
"I said stay out of my way," Kovu growled dangerously from on top of Sora. "I was stalking them." He failed to specify who he was referring to.
"How was I supposed to know that?" Sora retorted. "You were stalking! You were trying not to be noticed." Kovu snorted irritatedly and rolled off Sora.
"Finally!" Timon cried in exasperation. "Time for some grub." He strode past the arguing lions towards the recently-vacated ground. Rubbing his hands together hungrily, Timon approached a fat, juicy grub sticking its head out of the soil. "Come to papa."
At the last moment, one of the birds returned, snatching the grub from under Timon's outstretched hands. He watched with disbelief as more birds flocked back, leaving the place as occupied as before.
"NOOOO!" Timon screamed to the heavens, raising his fists over his head.
Kairi and Kiara crested the hill, giggling at all of them. "Hey Timon, hey Pumbaa," Kairi greeted, still chortling a bit. "What are you doing?"
"You're not following me, are you?" Kiara accused.
"We're trying to get something to eat," he spat, shaking his fist at a bird near him. "Lousy ingrates!" A shadow passed overhead, followed by a white blob that landed on Timon's head. "Aw, come on!"
"I'll get it Timon," Pumbaa offered, trotting up. He took a deep breath and blew on Timon...hard. It got rid of the bird dropping, but left Timon fuzzier than Simba's mane on a humid day.
"Thanks," Timon deadpanned.
"No problem, buddy!" Pumbaa grinned, straightening proudly.
"Why are we wasting our time here?" Kovu scoffed, turning to Kiara. "We should be training."
"If you actually, I don't know, helped us with these gluttons," Timon drawled nonchalantly, rolling each word around in his mouth, "then you wouldn't be wasting your time, now would you?"
Kovu responded with a mighty roar. Squealing like the wimp he was, Timon ran to Sora and cowered behind his paw. Pumbaa covered his eyes with his front hooves, his whole body quivering. A flock of birds also took to the air in fright and didn't look too keen on returning this time.
Timon slowly peered around Sora's leg. "Hey, now," he contemplated. "You might be on to something. Do it again."
"No," Kovu growled. "We're out of here."
"Lighten up," Kiara told him, giving him a friendly smile. "We could use a break." Winking at Timon, she filled the air with her regal tone.
"Yeehaw!" Timon whooped, mounting Pumbaa. "That's the ticket!" He pointed down the hill towards the retreating troops. "Charge!"
Laughing in delight, Sora gave chase to the troublesome birds, letting loose a sonorous call. Kairi was hot on his tail, adding her elegant sound to the chorus. The six of them sped across the savannah in pursuit of their quarry.
"Why are we doing this?" Kovu huffed, keeping up the fast pace effortlessly.
"Why?" Kiara replied as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because it's fun, that's why!"
"Fun...?" Kovu repeated quietly.
"Woo boy," Sora whistled. "We've got a lot of work to do."
"Fun," Timon explained. "Yeehaw! Ya get it?"
"Yeehaw...?" Kovu tried halfheartedly...semiheartedly. Everyone's excited laughter filled the air, slowly producing a genuine smile on Kovu's face. "Yeehaw!" he yelled, joining in the laughter.
"Now you're getting it," Sora praised.
They rounded a corner, laughing with each other, laughing at each other, laughing in general, just having tons of fun. The fun was cut short, though, when they realized they were on a collision coarse with a herd of Living Bones. Everyone skidded to a halt millimeters from the massive Heartless and held their breaths, waiting for their reaction. The Heartless brayed angrily and pawed the ground, ready to charge.
There were way too many Living Bones to fight and still come out alive. Screaming at the top of their lungs, the six friends reversed direction, sprinting away from the oncoming Heartless stampede. They dashed around a narrow, curved gorge and Sora spotted a large crevice tucked into the wall.
"In here!" he yelled, squeezing inside. Everyone squished in after him not a moment too soon. The first Living Bone nearly took Pumbaa's tail off on its way past.
As the last Heartless galumphed away, they all burst out laughing again out of sheer exhilaration, Kovu and Kiara the loudest of all.
"That sure was cutting it close," Kovu remarked breathlessly.
"Oh," Pumbaa muttered, "sorry." That sent everyone into another bout of laughter.
Timon clambered over all of them to give Kovu an affectionate noogie. "You're okay kid," he pronounced, "you're okay."
A dumbstruck look appeared on Kovu's face, as if he'd never experience this kind of acceptance. He glanced over at Sora, who just gave him a warm smile in return. His light was shining through again and wouldn't be suppressed this time.
Wiggling awkwardly, Pumbaa tried to extract himself from the animal pretzel inside the crevice. Sora pushed himself out of Pumbaa's way, which only pushed Kairi into Pumbaa. Kovu and Kiara had ended up in the very back and weren't helping matters any with their struggling.
Finally, Sora, Kairi, and Pumbaa tumbled out all at once. Without the others holding them up, Kovu and Kiara slipped closer, enough for their muzzles to touch. For a second, their eyes closed and they enjoyed the moment. Then, they blushed and pulled away, hemming and hawing awkwardly.
Sora shared an excited look with Kairi. Things were already going smoothly, even without a plan. Maybe all they had to do was keep nudging them in the right direction. Kovu and the princess.... Yup, destiny sure had a funny way of working out....
"Look, look!" Kiara said excitedly, pointing up at the sky. "It's a little bear cub with those cute, little round ears."
Timon and Pumbaa had retired for the night when the sun went down, giving the excuse that the day's excitement had worn them out. Yeah right! They were probably afraid of the dark. Anyway, the remaining four were lying on their backs in the grass, taking turns pointing out different shapes in the stars.
Kovu pointed at some larger shapes just next to the cub. "And there's the mama coming to gore the guy that's trying to hurt her cub," he chortled.
"Wait a minute," Kairi muttered slowly. "What's that one?" She pointed at a familiar constellation featuring a familiar trio. A questioning look on her face, she glanced at Sora and raised an eyebrow.
"Many worlds, one sky," he replied, reveling in his infuriating vagueness.
"It looks like a dog, a duck, and..." Kiara began.
"...a monkey?" Kovu finished. Kairi snorted violently, trying not to laugh.
"It looks to me like three guys the Olympian gods deemed worthy of being true heroes," Sora stated easily, shooting Kairi a boastful grin. She just stuck her tongue out at him. Kovu and Kiara, though, gawked at Sora as if he were crazy. "But, that's just me," Sora said hurriedly, chuckling nervously. "Overactive imagination, you know?"
Even Sora's weirdness couldn't keep Kovu's excitement bottled for long. "This is great!" he cried. "Wow, I wish I'd thought of this years ago."
Kiara glanced sideways at Kovu, his enthusiasm bringing a nostalgic look to her face. "This was one of my favorite things to do with my father when I was young." She frowned in contemplation. "He says the great kings of the past look down at us from the stars."
"Is Scar up there?" Kovu wondered aloud. He realized what he'd said a moment too late. Getting up, he turned his back to them, hiding his face. A pang of sympathy drove through Sora's heart. "Scar didn't have any kids of his own, but he took me in, made me his heir. I didn't know him, but..." He sounded so lost...
Kiara went to him and nuzzled his chin gently. "My father told me there was a darkness in Scar's heart that grew until it consumed him entirely," she whispered. Her ministering was so lovingly tender.... She truly loved him.
"Maybe it's in mine, too," Kovu murmured, his voice trembling uncertainly.
This was it. If Sora chose his words right, he could help Kovu leave the darkness behind forever. "Light and darkness go hand-in-hand," he said softly. "Even the brightest light will cast a shadow." Moving directly in front of Kovu, Sora locked eyes with him. He had to understand. "It's our choices that make a difference. You can choose not to let the darkness rule you."
A great battle was raging in Kovu's heart; the turmoil was plain in his eyes. Should he throw away everything he'd ever known on the word of someone he'd just met? Was the light worth forsaking his family?
Kiara gazed at him in anguish, her heart aching because of his agony. "Kovu," she murmured. In just that one word, Kiara poured all of her love and sorrow. Was she worth it?
"Kiara," he whispered, still so uncertain. Deciding they needed a few moments alone, Sora turned away. He spotted Simba several yards away on the crest of a small hill, his eyes skyward.
"I'll be right back," he muttered to Kairi distractedly, walking toward Simba. She watched him go with interest, but didn't follow. Instead, she walked a few paces from Kiara and Kovu and settled down, close by if they needed her, but far enough away to give them space.
Sora sidled up to his friend's side, content to wait in companionable silence and admire the beautiful night.
"I was just asking the great kings for advice," Simba finally said.
"Were they any help?" Sora asked conversationally.
"No," Simba sighed dejectedly, shaking his great head.
"Maybe you're not asking the right stars," Sora suggested, completely serious. Simba glanced sideways at his young friend, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Grinning, Sora indicated his own constellation. "That guy up there isn't a king, but I hear he's always willing to lend an ear and a hand...or a paw depending on where he is."
Simba chuckled tiredly and returned his gaze to the stars. "I just wish I knew what my father would do..." he sighed.
Sora groaned. Now was not the time for Simba to start backsliding. "Simba...," Sora warned.
"Don't worry, Sora," Simba assured him. "I've changed. I don't run from the past, but that doesn't mean I can't learn from it."
"You aren't talking about the past, though," Sora stressed. "Listen to me. I know you want to live up to your dad, but you can do that without following in his footsteps."
Simba smirked at him. "Lions make pawprints, not footsteps," he corrected jokingly.
"Whatever!" Sora moaned. "My point is you don't have to walk the path expected of you. You can go a different way and still arrive at the same place."
Simba looked at him seriously. "You aren't just talking about me anymore," he said. It wasn't a question.
"No," Sora replied simply.
"How do you know?" Simba asked quietly. The king's confusion mirrored the confusion Kovu had felt just minutes ago.
Sora looked down towards Kovu and Kiara. They stood side by side in silence, his head on hers. It was one thing to plan getting them together and another to actually see them together. It was obvious they were meant for each other, even if they didn't know it yet. "That's how," he whispered. "Just give him a chance."
Simba studied his daughter and his supposed enemy in turmoil, again mirroring Kovu with his struggles. "You win, Sora," he finally conceded. "I'll talk with him tomorrow." Hesitantly, he turned to Sora. There was a thought on the tip of his tongue, but he seemed almost embarrassed to say it. "I'd be honored if you would join us."
"Of course," Sora stammered in relief. He'd thought Simba was going to bring up something much more serious. "You know me, I never give up on people."
"And I'll always admire you for it," Simba admitted sincerely. "Thank you for never giving up on me. I only wish I could be that strong." He sighed heavily, reminding Sora that Simba had aged much more than himself since they last met. "Don't stay out too late," Simba muttered, turning to leave.
"Geez, you sound like my mom!" Sora shouted after him. Chuckling to himself, Sora started back towards Kairi.
"And just where are you going?" Rafiki's voice floated out of the grass.
"Nowhere," Sora said, not bothering to search for the source of his voice.
"Ha! That's what you think," the baboon said. His lanky form popped up in front of Sora, making him jump. "You and your girl are coming with me. We've got romance to create." He beckoned Sora closer. "Here's the plan..."
Once Rafiki was done explaining, Sora ran to Kairi and hurriedly repeated the plan. Muttering excitedly, the two ran off to prepare for their part in the matchmaking.
Kovu's ears perked up at the sound of rustling. "Hey! Where'd Sora and Kairi go?" he wondered.
"Where indeed?" Rafiki cackled, tugging on Kovu's and Kiara's tails. "You follow old Rafiki. He knows the way." Snickering infuriatingly, he started walking off.
"The way to Sora and Kairi?" Kovu asked doubtfully.
"Maybe," the old shaman called from atop a small outcropping of rock close to the top of a near-by cliff. "Maybe not. You'll never know unless you follow!" With that, he grabbed a vine attached to the top of the cliff and used it to swing around the rock face.
"Kovu, come on!" Kiara cried with barely contained laughter. She sprinted off, not really giving Kovu much choice in the matter.
They rounded a bend and found themselves at the edge of a beautiful oasis. "Where's he taking us?" Kovu wondered, skidding to a halt.
The shaman's voice seemed to float out of nowhere. "A place in your heart called..." His head suddenly appeared above them. "...Upendi." He grabbed their heads, turned them in, and gently shoved them together so that their noses touched. At first, the couple's faces showed surprise, but shortly they relaxed and smiled gently.
A large, heart-shaped leaf waited in a small lagoon for them. Ushering the couple on it – it was surprisingly buoyant, surprisingly being synonymous with magically in this case – Rafiki hopped on top, using a long rod to steer the boat like a gondola. The crazy, old baboon directed them towards a waterfall.
Kairi, out of sight at the top of the waterfall, cast Blizzaga at the center of the river, just before the water plunged over the edge. A small, frozen island blossomed there, splitting the river in two. From the boat, it looked as though the waterfall was merely a curtain parting for them, revealing a cave.
As soon as the boat passed through the entryway, the two lions knew to expect the unexpected, even if it defied nature. The cave had a strange, wild magic of its own that permeated the air. Anything was possible here.
With an excited laugh, Rafiki hopped over to a group of his kin on the bank. The baboons had an assortment of gourds, reeds, and turtle shells. One handed Rafiki his rattling staff. At Rafiki's cue, the baboons began hitting and/or blowing their respective items with Rafiki rattling his staff in a rhythmic way. It soon became clear that the items were instruments, the baboons were musicians, and the sound they were producing was music.
A gentle current began flowing, guiding their boat along the water. From farther down the bank, a strange sight greeted them. Sora was dancing upright on his hind legs, wearing a skirt made of grass around his hips, a necklace made of flowers around his neck, and a crown made of leaves around his head. He held his Keyblade across his chest and strummed the hilt as if something was strung across it. A high-pitched twang came from it. Sora's attire and "instrument" didn't seem like they should fit with the African theme, but ended up blending nicely with it.
With a huge grin on his face, Sora began to sing. "There's a place where the crazy moon..." A comically large crescent moon appeared in the sky. "...makes the monkeys sing..." A chorus of monkeys began harmonizing with him. "...and the baboon swoon..." Two baboons on a vine overhead sighed and tipped over, hanging from their tails. "...and the sultry scent of the lotus bloom..." A baboon plucked a blossom from a near-by bush, dropping it in Kiara's paws as the boat passed underneath. "...will carry you away." Kovu sniffed the flower uncertainly and let out an explosive sneeze.
Kairi appeared on the opposite bank, decorated similarly to Sora. The only difference was a large lily tucked behind her ear instead of a crown of leaves. A bright smile stretched across her muzzle.
She sang, "While the hippos swing from the jungle vines..." Four hippos arched across the water on unbreakable vines. "...and the rhino rumba in a congo line." Several rhinos danced down the shore, moving their hips with a flexibility that didn't seem possible from such large animals. "All the pink flamingoes are intertwined..." The brightly-colored birds paired up and not-so-subtly made heart shapes with their heads and necks. "...as the stars come out to play." The rhino line collided with the flamingoes, producing stars, like in cartoons. Rafiki scooped them up and tossed them into the sky.
"Uhh!"
"In Upendi...," the chorus sang, lining up along the banks, "where the passion fruit grows sweet..." Rafiki grabbed two of the succulent morsels and hopped onto the leaf boat. "..and it's so divine..." He offered one to Kiara, who gulped it down happily. "...that you lose your mind..." He offered the second to Kovu, who politely declined. "...as it sweeps you off your feet."
"In Upendi..." Sora spied a bush ahead with pink colored leaves that looked suspiciously like hearts. Excellent! "...without a worry or a care." He sped ahead and selected a large leaf with a hole in its center. "It just takes two to make it true." As Kovu and Kiara's boat passed, Sora jumped over them, sliding the leaf over Kovu's head in the process. "You heart will lead you there." Kiara laughed at Kovu's frilly collar before he shrugged it off in disgust.
"Where is it?" Kiara asked excitedly.
In Upendi...
Rafiki covered her eyes, cleaned out her ears, and responded, "No place you don't take with you."
In Upendi...
As the boat approached another waterfall, Rafiki suddenly yanked the leaf out from under them as if it were a tablecloth. "Better watch your step 'cause the path is steep." The lovebirds tumbled through the air and landed in a huge, bowl-shaped plant filled with water. "Better hold your breath 'cause the water's deep." Rafiki stopped his own fall with a vine hanging over the lip. As soon as he pulled it, a hatch opened at the bottom of the plant and it was drained of water and lions.
Sora and Kairi wafted through the air, each supported by a leaf much like the leaf boat. "It's a long way down over Lover's Leap..." Kairi shouted.
They jumped off the leaves. "...but falling's half the fun!" Sora yelled. Kovu and Kiara landed back in their boat, laughing their heads off, moments before Sora and Kairi splashed down beside them.
"In Upendi..." Rafiki once again appeared on the leaf. "...where the passion fruit grows sweet..." This time many fruits tumbled down from the trees directly into Kovu's mouth. "...and it's so divine..." Kovu tried to swallow, but started choking. "...that you'll lose your mind..." Kiara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "...as it sweeps you off you feet." He had no trouble swallowing after that.
"In Upendi..." Rafiki demonstrated his dexterity by balancing stacks of fruit on his fingers and nose. "...without a worry or a care." He tossed some to Sora, who tried his best to juggle them with paws instead of hands. "It just takes two..." He lost his rhythm. "...to make it true." The fruits flew away, landing on a field covered in butterflies. They all took flight in a massive spray of color. "Your heart will take you there."
Kairi headed a line of animals dancing with small, leafy branches as if they were a pair of maracas. "You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow." They all put down the branches and looked around. "From Tanganyika..."
The ground sped forward, faster than the river, following the line until it ended with Sora. "...to Kilimanjaro." A mountain sprouted up underneath him. "But you'll find Upendi wherever you are."
"Oh, underneath the sun," Rafiki sang, pulling a beautiful sunset down over the sky.
"Upendi. It means love, doesn't it?" Kiara guessed.
"Now you're getting it!" Sora laughed in exhilaration.
Kairi spread her front legs wide. "Welcome to Upendi!" she cried with delight.
Hearts began emanating from the sun in place of rays and a waterspout gushed under the boat, hoisting it into the air.
"In Upendi..." Another conga line formed, made of animal pairs. "...where the passion fruit grows sweet." The conga line neared a passion fruit tree where Rafiki waited in its branches. "Oh, it's so divine..." Rafiki tossed two fruits to the first couple. "...that you'll lose your mind..." The couple gobbled them down, tossed themselves into the water, and floated away on their backs. "...as it sweeps you off your feet." Sora and Kairi hitched onto the back end of the conga.
"In Upendi..." Kovu and Kiara dove off the boat and joined the line as well. "...without a worry or a care." Sora and Kairi caught their fruits and jumped in. "It just takes two..." Now Kovu and Kiara had their turn at gulping down fruits. "...to make it true." They flung themselves into the water. "Your he-e-" They were carried uphill for a ways, then fell over another waterfall. "E-E-" The water took them up another, larger hill with an equally larger waterfall. "E-EART..." They climbed the largest hill yet, but the end of this one launched them into open space. "...will take you there." A final leaf opened above them like a parachute, letting them glide gently through the air.
Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi...
Kiara sighed happily and cuddled close to Kovu. With a sweet, loving tenderness, Kovu held her to him, brushing her cheek with his.
Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi...
"We did it," Kairi murmured breathlessly, licking Sora on the cheek. She wrapped her front legs around him as if they were still arms.
Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi...
"We did," he whispered, his heart bursting with joy. Today, the darkness lost one of its servants for good. He gently gathered Kairi to him and laid his head on hers.
Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi...
"Did you see the look on their faces when you dressed in drag and did the hula?" Kairi chortled as they neared the den. "Priceless!"
"And when Kovu was choking?" Sora sniggered. "So much for CPR."
They were still suppressing giggles when they passed Simba on their way in for the night. He raised an eyebrow. "What have you been up to?"
"Just hanging out with Rafiki," Sora grinned.
"I'm not going to ask," Simba said, letting them inside. Finding a comfortable spot, they settled down together.
A short time later, Kiara came in alone. Sora wasn't the only one to notice, either. With a quizzical expression, Simba went outside. His curiosity getting the better of him, Sora got up and hid in the mouth of the cave.
Simba approached Kovu, who eyed Simba nervously. "It's getting chilly," the older lion remarked. "Why don't you come in?" With disbelief written all over his face, Kovu let the king lead him into his home.
As Kovu passed, he noticed Sora in the shadows. Their eyes met. Kovu had been alone with Simba for a few minutes, plenty of time to kill him. But...he hadn't, just like Sora knew he wouldn't. Sora nodded his approval, smiling warmly.
With the day's success still causing his heart to leap for joy, he returned to Kairi's side. Finally, after all the excitement, he could have a good night's rest. His comfort was short-lived, though.
Just before he fell asleep, Sora felt the forces of darkness mobilizing far off. Curling around Kairi protectively, he closed his eyes, resigning himself to a sleepless night.
A/N: Whew! Sorry about the prolonged absense there. I've had the mother of all writer's blocks and I attempted to overcome it by avoiding ff(dot)net like the plague so as to avoid distractions. ...It didn't work so well, lol. I just used other things to distract me, like books about dragons. The good news is I will soon have more time to write than I will know what to do with.
I would like to take the opportunity to say that Rafiki is officially amazing. He is one of the most fun characters I've worked with so far, probably because everything he says is nonsense while still being a profound metaphor about life. Hehe, I'm all about profound nonsense. :D
You know, considering I didn't care much for Atlantica (although Ursula's Revenge was amazing!), I'm using a lot of songs. It's ironic, there's only one light world so far that I haven't used a song for. Sorry if they don't thrill you, but anything I could come up with on my own would probably be worse. It's like a presidential election, choosing the lesser of two evils.
Hope you all ate plenty of food over Thanksgiving!
New Characters:
Kovu: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Kiara: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Zazu: The Lion King (1994)
Simba: The Lion King (1994)
Nala: The Lion King (1994)
Timon: The Lion King (1994)
Pumbaa: The Lion King (1994)
Rafiki: The Lion King (1994)