Here's chapter 21 and please review. Reminder that I don't own Lion King, Disney does.
That night, Kiara was in the meadow by herself, when she felt a presence behind her. She imminently knew who it was.
"I know it's you Kovu," Kiara called, and Kovu appeared from behind him.
"How did you know it was me?" Kovu asked.
"You're the only one that tries to scare me, other than Kopa!" Kiara laughed. She pushed Kovu's face playfully with her paw.
Kovu smiled and settled next to her. Kiara felt her heart beating faster. She had feelings for Kovu, she was sure of that. But would he ever return it? She was screaming at herself on the inside, telling her to tell Kovu how she felt.
"Kiara?" Kovu nudged her. "Are you okay?"
"I-" Kiara began, but then stopped. "Never mind,"
Kovu nuzzled her cheek with his nose, "Come on, you know that you can tell me anything. What it?"
Kiara sighed, and closed her eyes. "This is it," Kiara thought.
"Well, then answer my question. Have you ever had feelings for any lioness?" Kiara asked.
Kovu looked surprised, "Well...not exactly...but...yes...I do and that lioness..." His voice trailed off.
Kiara closed her eyes, holding back tears. So he did have feelings for another lioness. She would never be able to be with him. Why had she been so stupid?
"I am such a fool!" Kiara screamed, mentally at herself.
"Kiara, are you okay?" Kovu asked. "I didn't exactly finish what I was going to say."
"I have to tell him," Kiara thought.
"Kiara?" Kovu nudged her.
Kiara looked at him, "Kovu, I don't know how to tell you this, but I..."
"What?" Kovu asked.
"I love you!" Kiara blurted out. Kovu looked at her shocked, and Kiara jumped and hurled herself away from him.
"Kiara!" Kovu called, but she didn't stop.
Kovu stared after her, absorbing what she had just said.
"She loves me?" Kovu thought, and then a smile went up his face. The lioness that he loved, loved him back!
Kovu smiled happily. He had feelings for Kiara for quite a while now, but he had been too nervous to tell her that. He didn't think there was a chance that she'd return her feelings. But she had. Kovu wondered why she had ran, and then he remembered him telling her that he did have feelings for a lioness.
"Damn it!" Kovu thought. He hadn't been able to finish his sentence.
"She loves me." Kovu murmured, and he continued grinning. Then he got up, and headed after Kiara.
"Kiara!" Kovu called. He ran across the meadow, and then saw a path that led out to where the antelope often fed. The path was surrounded by trees and lush vegetation.
"Kiara!" Kovu called. He picked up her scent, and then followed it, to find Kiara settled down in front of a pond with sparkling water.
"Kiara," Kovu said, and went to her side. "Why did you run?"
Kiara sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that. I mean you have feelings for a lioness and..." Her voice trailed off.
"Exactly," Kovu said. "And that lioness is you."
Kiara looked at him stunned and speechless. Kovu bent down and licked her cheek, and Kiara buried her face into his neck. Kovu nuzzled the top of her head.
"I fell in love with you." Kovu whispered in her ears. He settled down next to her.
"I thought I made a fool of myself," Kiara said, shaking her head.
"You didn't, except maybe for when you ran away," Kovu said, with a cocky grin. He ducked to avoid Kiara swatting him with her paw.
Kiara then pressed herself against her and leaned pressed her face into his neck. Kovu purred and rubbed his muzzle against hers. The two of them lay there for a while, enjoying being with each other.
"We better get going," Kiara said, after a while. "It's getting late."
Kovu nodded, and got up. He entwined his tail with hers and the two of them made their way back to Priderock.
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The next morning, Jasiri much before sunrise. When she went outside the cave, she realized that there was more than an hour before the sun rose. Stretching, she decided to go to the Waterhole.
Jasiri bent down and lapped at the water. She knew that her father would flip if he found out that she had left the cave so early, but for the moment she didn't care.
Suddenly, she felt someone coming up and touching her. Roaring, she spun around, ready to rip her attacker into pieces!
"It's just me 'Siri!" Came a voice. Kopa!
"Kopa!" Jasiri cried. "Don't scare me like that!"
"What are you doing up so early?" Kopa asked. There was a goofy grin on his face.
"I couldn't sleep," Jasiri said. Kopa stepped closer, and nuzzled her, and Jasiri purred.
"Neither could I. Wanna take a walk with me?" Kopa asked. Jasiri nodded, and the two of them set off.
"I think that lioness, Sahara is pregnant." Kopa said. "I heard her talking about it."
"Isn't she too old?" Jasiri asked. "She's past that cub bearing stage."
"I know," Kopa agreed.
"I really don't want to have cubs of my own." Jasiri said.
"Same," Kopa said.
"It's not that I don't like them. It's just that I would rather be like Shinda and Alex. I mean you and Kiara are basically their son and daughter to them and they don't have cubs of her own. I would rather be like that." Jasiri said.
"You have a point." Kopa said. "I would rather be that way too."
"Hey, let's go to the pond by the antelope field." Kopa said, and Jasiri nodded. The two of them reached the small pond and then settled down in front of it, side by side.
Jasiri yawned, and Kopa laughed. "Tired?"
"No," Jasiri said. "Not really."
Kopa moved closer to her, and without thinking, Jasiri rested her head against his brown mane. Kopa settled his head on top of hers.
"Jasiri, can I ask you something?" Kopa asked.
"What is it?" Jasiri asked.
"If a male lion ever had feelings towards you, would you return it?" Kopa asked.
Jasiri's heart skipped a beat, "Depends on who it is,"
Kopa closed his eyes for a minute, "What if...if...the lion...if he was...me?"
Jasiri stared at him in shock and then smiled, "Yes I would."
Kopa smiled and licked her cheek. Purring happily, Jasiri buried her face into his mane, and nuzzled his neck with her nose.
"I love you," Jasiri whispered.
"I love you too." Kopa murmured into her ears. The two of them lay there for quite a while, enjoying being with each other.
"Well it's about time you two finally stopped being blind and realized your damn feelings!" Came a voice. Jasiri and Kopa whirled around to see Kovu standing behind them, grinning.
"Kovu!" Jasiri cried. "How long have you been there?"
Kovu laughed, "Long enough! I woke up and saw that you weren't in the cave. Dad would freak if he found out you left alone so early."
"He doesn't have to know, and I wasn't alone. I was with Kopa. We were just taking a walk." Jasiri hissed.
"Oh, you two were doing more than a walk!" Kovu laughed.
Kopa grinned at him, "And what exactly did you and Kiara do last night?"
Kovu's mouth fell open, "I wasn't with Kiara last night!"
"Yes you were. She thought we were all asleep last night when she walked into our den. I wasn't! And then I figured you were with her."
"Well...maybe I was...but..." Kovu's voice trailed off.
"Just be careful of what you two do together." Kopa said, raising his eyebrows and giving him a knowing grin.
"Jasiri, you better get back to Priderock before Dad wakes up and realized you're gone." Kovu said, turning back to his twin sister.
"You're right," Jasiri said, and got up, along with Kopa, who entwined his tail with hers. The three headed back to Priderock where the Pride was slowly beginning to wake up. Kiara walked out of the Royal den. Kovu went and rubbed his head against her. Kiara smiled and nuzzled his cheek with her nose.
"So Kiara, what were you two doing last night?" Kopa asked.
"What?" Kiara demanded. "What do you mean?"
"Don't try lying to him, Kiara." Kovu said. "He saw you two coming in last night."
Kiara looked at her brother shocked, "You were asleep!"
"Not really," Kopa said. He smirked at her, and Kiara rolled her eyes.
Haru walked up to the group, and grinned at Jasiri and Kopa.
"Well I thought you two would be permanently blind, but looks like you aren't!" Haru laughed.
"Do you want do the patrol now and just get over it?" Kovu asked. Kopa and Haru nodded.
"I have to go hunting soon. Jasiri?" Kiara said.
"I'm coming," Jasiri said.
Kovu turned to Kiara and gave her a nuzzle, which she returned, and then began walking down Priderock. Kopa gave Jasiri and Kiara a nuzzle and then he and Haru followed Kovu down Priderock.
Kiara and Jasiri went down to the Waterhole, along with Danyssa. The three young lionesses took a drink, and then went back to Priderock to join the hunt.
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That night, when everyone was asleep, Nalia slipped out of the Pridelands and went into the Outlands to meet her mother and the rest of the Pride.
She saw three figures waiting outside of the den and she knew who it was.
"Mother, "Nalia greeted. Keshni stepped forward and embraced her daughter.
"How did it go?" Malaika asked.
"He doesn't trust me yet but Kopa does and that could he an advantage. They only let me in because I was a cub when he exiled us. Akila, you were right. The Pridelanders are all liars."
"We'll done," Akila praised. "I need you to gain their trust so when we lead Simba or Kopa into an ambush they will follow you to where we are."
"Are you eating and drinking alright?"Keshni asked. Nalia nodded.
"You better get back before they know you are gone," Malaika said. Nalia nodded and after bidding good bye, she went back into the Pridelands.
The next morning, Nalia spotted Simba leaving the cave and went up to him.
"Your Majesty," Nalia said, approaching him.
"Yes Nalia?" Simba asked in a cool voice.
"If I may ask, what do you know about my father and why do you owe him?" Nalia asked.
A flash of several different emotions passed on Simba's face.
"I was planning on telling you this when I fully trust you but... Why not? I may as well tell you now." Simba said. "Come to the top if Priderock."
Nalia and Simba walked to the peak of Priderock and Simba began telling the story.
"Your father was a Pridelander names Tanabi. He and I were good friends. Other than me and your mother, he didn't talk with many other lions." Simba began.
"Who did your mother say that your father was?" Simba asked.
"She told me that my father was a rogue," Nalia answered.
"No," Simba said. "Tanabi told me that your mother and him mated. And I knew him well enough to know that he was telling the truth."
"Tanabi was my mother's official mate?" Nalia asked.
"No, Tanabi loved your mother." Simba answered. "But I don't think your mother returned his feelings. They didn't make an official announcement that they were mates and they kept the fact that they mated a secret."
"So why do you owe my father?" Nalia asked.
"Your father loved your mother, but she didn't return his feelings. Keshni loved somebody else, but he was already taken."
"Who did she love?" Nalia asked.
Simba looked at her with a serious look, "She loved Chumvi."
"Chumvi as if Jasiri and Kovu's father?" Nalia gasped. Simba nodded.
"Your mother loved him a lot but he was already with Kula and loved her as well. It broke her heart." Simba said.
"How do you know this?" Keshni asked.
"Tanabi told me. He could tell that Keshni loved him. I have no idea why they mated but I'm sure it was because Keshni was in depression and went to a desperate measure."
"So why do you owe him?" Nalia asked.
"Your father and I were patrolling one day and we were attacked by hyenas." Simba said. "He died fighting but his last words were begging me to make sure you grew up safely and happily. You weren't born yet. My own cubs were only about one or two months old."
Nalia stared at him stunned.
"So when you and the rest of your Pride was banished, I should have given you to Safi. But I thought that Kiara and Kopa were gone and I was too grief stricken to think properly." Simba said. He gave Nalia one last look, and then walked away, leaving Nalia in her own thoughts.
"My mother lied about who my father was. She lied to me all these years." Nalia thought. But how could she know that Simba wasn't lying? She had been taught that the Pridelander lions were liars, but the way that Simba had spoken, she could tell that this wasn't a lie. So if it was, she fully belonged in the Pridelands. She remembered her mother saying that if both her parents were members of the Pride, she was also a full member. If Simba was telling the truth, that meant her mother had lied to her all these years. But how could she know the truth? With her head still whirling with thoughts, she walked away.
Hope you enjoyed and please review. So now we know the truth about Nalia's parents. Will that turn her against Akila? Stay tuned to find out.