Thanks for the reviews, and yes the sad part is about to come up. With teary eyes, here's the next chapter.
A pair of green and light brown eyes glowed from the darkness of the den. As they moved further towards their target, a sleeping princess. But before they could pounce Kiara opened her eyes and snapped them towards her suppose attackers.
"Don't even think about it!"
The attackers came out of hiding to reveal themselves as Prince Kion and Prince Brandt. "How'd you know it was us?" the light golden cub asked with confused green eyes.
Kiara sat up and looked at her brothers with a knowing smile. "You both are tipitcal. Plus you're breathing heavy."
Kion frowned. "No fair."
Kiara giggled before tapping Brandt's shoulder before running off. "Try and catch me!"
Kion and Brandt shared a look before running after their sister. As soon as the siblings hit the savannah the game of tag turned into a race. The cubs were so into racing, enjoy the breeze through their furs when they didn't notice Akan sitting just a bit in their paths. Kion and Brandt noticed just in time but Kiara noticed a bit too late causing the golden orange princess to slide into her uncle who reached out a paw and caught his niece.
"Whoa there, princess."
Kiara groaned before pushed the title aside as she grinned up at her uncle. "Hey Uncle Akan! What are you doing here?"
Akan smiled before ruffling the small fur on Kiara's head. "I haven't seen you since in a month. How about we take a walk and catch up?"
Kiara beamed before nodding, "Sure." then she looked at her brothers before looking back at the whitish-beige lion. "Can Kion and Brandt come?"
Akan thought about it but Alyssa didn't say that was a part of the plan. "I'll take you first and hang with my dearest nephews tomorrow."
Kion and Brandt frowned before turning to head back to priderock. Kiara frowned before smiling, she ran after her brothers and embraced them both. "Don't worry guys, when I get back we'll go star gazing. Alright?"
Kion and Brandt smiled widely and nuzzled Kiara before continuing towards priderock.
"Ready?"
Kiara looked at Akan with a excited smile. "Yeah. Let's go."
In The Gorge
Kiara looked around, with a confused expression. "Why are we here Uncle Akan? Daddy says that we're not suppose to be down here."
"Don't worry we're here because your father has a marvelous surprise for you."
Akan and Kiara stopped near a rock, underneath a small tree.
Kiara grinned now interested. "Oooh. What is it?"
Akan shook his head. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"
Kiara smiled sweetly and innocently. "If you tell me, I'll still act surprised."
Akan gave a mocking stern look. "You are such a naughty girl."
Kiara stood on her back paws and put her forepaws on her uncle's dark brown mane covered chest. "Come on, Uncle Akan."
Akan shook his head before stepping back. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no. This is just for you and your daddy. You know, a sort of... father and cub... thing."
Through Kiara's expression, Akan see that she resents his dismissive attitude, but soon shrugs it off.
"Well! I'd better go get him."
Kiara went to follow. "I'll go with you."
Akan turned with a loud snapping tone. "No!" he took a deep breath before regaining composure. "Heh heh heh. No. Just stay on this rock. You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the hyenas..."
Kiara looked surprised. The graveyard accident happened a month ago and she was sure no one else knew besides her parents and Kopa's parents. "You know about that?"
Akan nodded. "Kiara, everybody knows about that."
Kiara lowers her head in embrassment. "Really?"
"Oh, yes. Lucky Daddy was there to save you, eh?" Akan was clearly enjoying himself; he puts a paw on Kiara's shoulder. "Oh... and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours. Hmm?"
"Oh, okay."
Akan pats Kiara roughly on the head, then moves off.
Kiara looked up with wondering. "Hey, Uncle Akan, will I like the surprise?"
Akan stops and looks over her shoulder with a smile. "Kiara, it's to DIE for."
Kiara waited for a while for her uncle to come back with her father. While thinking about what Akan said. She rolled her eyes, "Little roar. Puh!"
A lizard walks pass Kiara, causing her to grin before growling at it.
"Rarrr!"
The lizard has no reaction to this first attempt. Kiara then jumps down and tries again.
"Rrrraowr-h!"
For the third attempt, Kiara moves closer again and inhales deeply.
"RAOWR!"
The lizard looked frightened before it skitters off. Kiara's roar echoes around the canyon. The echo is soon eclipsed, however, by a low rumble. Kiara looks down and sees pebbles jumping. A look of terror washes over Kiara's face as she sees a herd of wildebeest coming over the lip of the canyon. Without a second thought she takes off in front of the herd.
TLKTLKTLKTLK
Zazu sat perched on Simba's shoulder blade. It was a bit before noon, they were on their daily routine. They were standing on a hill waiting for the cheetah coalition leader. The hornbill looked up and noticed a cluster of dust coming from the gorge. "Oh look, sire; the herd is on the move."
Simba looked and seen the dust in the air. "Odd..." which was odd, since he had been going on this route with his father, there never been a stampede.
"Strange in deed."
Simba looked from the gorge to see a deep golden cheetah. "Good afternoon, Thresh."
Thresh moved his forset green eyes from the gorge to the golden lion with a bow. "Same to you, sire."
"Simba!"
Simba and Thresh looked to see Akan run up out of breath, panting. Simba looked confused, Akan never joined him in...well anything. "Akan..?"
Akan breathed heavily as he put on his fearful act. "Simba. Quick. Stampede. In the gorge. Kiara's down there!"
Simba was about to turn and return to his meeting when his brother's last words froze him. "Kiara?"
Thresh lowered his head. "Oh my Great kings. Go I hope everything turns out alright."
Simba dipped his head before turning and ran towards the gorge with Akan following and Zazu flying overhead.
In The Gorge
Kiara is running, trying her best to keep ahead of the stampede. She seen a tree in the middle of the gorge and makes a quick descion. Kiara runs and climbs up a dead tree. Zazu flies down into the canyon where he spots Kiara clinging to the branch for dear life.
Kiara seen the majordomo and hope sparkled in her fear filled eyes. "Zazu! Help me!"
"Your father is on the way! Hold on!"
Kiara started loosing her grip as she watched Zazu fly away. "Hurry!"
On the lower ledges of the gorge Simba and Akan stood scanning the canyon. Zazu flies to Simba and points out where the princess is.
"There! There! On that tree!"
Simba follow where Zazu was pointing to see Kiara clinging to a dead tree branch. "Hold on, Kiara!"
In the gully, a wildebeest rams the tree Simba's on, nearly breaking it.
Kiara screams as she was nearly knocked off her temporary safe haven. "Ahhhh!"
Simba rushed into the gorge without thinking and runs out into the herd, joining the stampede.
"Oh Akan, this is awful. What will we do? What will we do? Hah ... I'll go back for help, that's what I'll do, I'll go back for he-oomph!"
Akan growls before he backhands Zazu into a rock wall, knocking him out. He then follows Simba's progress from the lip of the gorge, his shadow cast mysteriously from the bottom of the gully. Simba runs with the herd till he slightly past the tree. He whips around the front of some wildebeest and runs into the herd towards Kiara's tree. He gets rammed head-first once, throwing him to the ground. A wildebeest hits Kiara's tree, throwing the golden orange cub into the air. Simba jumps up in time to catch his daughter in the air with his mouth. He gets hit again and accidentally throws Kiara. Kiara slides along the dusty gorge floor before she had to dodge a few oncoming wildebeest. Simba runs by with the herd and grabs Kiara. He jumps up to a near rock ledge and sets Kiara down, but is immediately struck by a wildebeest and carried off into the stampede.
"Daddy!" Kiara cried as she helplessly watched her father get pulled back into the stampede.
The future queen watches in horror as she cannot find her father in the swirling mass of wildebeest below him. At the last second, Simba leaps out of the herd and starts to climb with great difficulty up the sheer rock slope. Kiara sighed before she turns and starts to climb up to the top of the gorge. Out of Kiara's sight, Simba reaches a point right below a ledge where he can't climb due to the steepness and his tiredness. His claws are scraping and his back paws have no traction. The golden king sighed in relief when he seen Akan standing on the ledge over him.
"Akan! Broth-" Simba start to slip and is barely hangs on. "Brother! Help me!"
Akan looks disdainfully down and then suddenly latches onto Simba's forepaws with claws extended. The golden lion roars, primarily from the sudden pain of his brother's claws, but no doubt also due to the sudden flash of realization. His expression slowly changes to one of horror as he recognizes Akan's intent.
Akan debates what his last words were going to be when he remembered that story Imari told when he and Simba was cubs and he was known as the mere, useless Sarkis. He lowers his head as he whispered slowly and evilly, "Long live the king."
The whitish-beige lion throws his brother backwards. Simba free-falls, back first. All he could do was yell as he fell. Kiara watches with wide eyes as her and her father's screams mingle. The herd passes. Everything is clouded by dust. Kiara bounds to the canyon floor.
Kiara coughs as she looks around, searching. "Daddy!" Kiara's ears perked as she heard a sound. She looked towards the source with a hopeful expression. "Daddy?"
A stray wildebeest run past, turning out to be the source of the sound. The wildebeest curves around a log further down the gully. Under the log is a shadow, laying on its side. It is not moving or breathing. Kiara slowly approaches to see it was her father.
Kiara looked hopeful. "Daddy? ...Daddy, come on." she rubs up against her father's cheek. The head merely rolls back in place after the rub. "You gotta get up." she places both forepaws on his cheek and pushes. "Papa. We gotta go home." she tugs at Simba's ear. Again the head limply moves back in place. Kiara runs off a bit, obviously very scared. "HEEEEELP! Somebody!" her voice reverberates hollowly off the sides of the gorge. "Anybody... help."
Tears began to fall as she turns back to the body. She nuzzles up under the limp paw so that her father is embracing her.
Out of the lingering dust Akan apporches. "Kiara. ...What have you done?"
Kiara jumps back, crying. "There were wildebeests and he tried to save me... it was an accident, I... I didn't mean for it to happen."
Akan pulls his niece close a bit. "Of course, of course you didn't. No one... ever means..." he pulls Kiara closer; Kiara sniffles before she hid her face on Akan's foreleg. "for these things to happen. ...But the king IS dead." Akan looked down with mock regret at Kiara. "And if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive." Kiara feels crushed, believing her guilt. Another thought "occurs" to whitish-beige lion. "Oh! What will your mother think?"
Kiara sniffles a bit as she looks up with a lost expression. "What am I gonna do?"
Akan bends down and causes Kiara to back up with his words. "Run away, Kiara. Run... Run away and never return."
Kiara glanced at her father's limp body before she runs off blindly, obviously broken. Not a second later after Kiara ran off down the gorge Janja, Banzai and Chungu appeared behind Akan. The whitish-beige lion sneered, while still facing the direction Kiara ran.
"Kill her."
