Kaa has disappeared from the face of the Earth itself but Kiara's trauma still runs deep. Simba finally steps up, knowing exactly what to do.

Chapter 16: A Royal Reconciliation

Kiara felt a strange sense of solemnness upon watching Kaa's tail become sucked down into the quicksand. Memories of all the fun she had with Kaa replayed in her mind as she closed her eyes. Despite seeing his true colors, the princess remembered how he was the first to treat her far less like a helpless little thing and more like a father figure that she could've truly confide in. She couldn't shake it off and began to tear up. It felt like her BFF was vanishing before her eyes.

"Swallowed whole and suffocated slowly," Simba's voice rang out rather happily, getting Kiara's attention. "If that's not karma, then I don't know what is." The princess turned around to find her father walking towards her with a rather proud grin. "That strategy honestly had me smiling the whole time." She couldn't help but smile back at the words of praise that the king had long denied her. "I always saw you as something to protect but you just defeated THE Kaa himself."

Kiara's slight smile sank when she remembered Kaa. "Maybe... you were right to keep me safe... from him," she lamented, her head sinking in shame. "He really made me think that I was ready to be Queen but I was the perfect stooge for him." She clenched her teeth to keep from really sobbing. "If I didn't get lucky, he would've killed Mom and made you into a monster." The princess finally broke down in tears that soaked her fur. "I should've stayed at Pride Rock like you said."

Simba sighed compassionately as Kiara's anguish felt all too familiar. "Kaa was able to get to you because I tried to keep you safe," he admitted, lifting his own daughter's head up with his right paw. "I should've been teaching you to hunt properly and to delegate but I let my fear of him play into his coily grip." The king wiped her tears away gently as her highness looked surprised by her father's empathy. "I provoked you into rebelling and gave him the hold that he'd needed."

Kiara began to remember Kaa's fixation on Simba in particular and soon widened her eyes in relaxation. "He... got to you too, didn't he?" Her father's sudden heartbroken expression was all the response that she needed. "He put me deep under after I... lost somebody," he lamented, closing his eyes in deep thought. "Nala soon got through to me but I can never ever forget..." He opened his eyes to look at his daughter. "I often question if I'm even actually fit for the throne."

"How did you get through it?" Kiara reluctantly asked, hoping for a solution. "I'm still doing my very best to get by," Simba answered honestly. "I can't say that there's a quick fix to this horrible experience but... Nala and I will be here for you to help." He reached out with his right paw and began to ruffle some of his daughter's fur to her bemusement. "You managed to survive Kaa's wrath just as I did." The princess soon began to smile back at him. "You'll be a great Queen."

Kiara looked back at Simba's proud expression with her heart filling up with that warm feeling Kaa had gave her. Except this wasn't some sort of slick tongued manipulation. Her father was speaking from the bottom of his heart. The princess teared up once again but out of sheer happiness and moved up towards the king. He was surprised by the way she nuzzled her head affectionately against his mane but soon smiled back and put his paws around his daughter in return.

"Wait until Zazu hears about this," Simba chuckled to lighten the mood, unaware of Kiara's eye snapping open in dread. "For your sake, I'll leave out the more, erm, gassy bits." He found himself surprised when his daughter slipped herself out of his hug. The princess backed away from her father with the anxious sort of expression every cub made when they knew they were in trouble. "Yeah, um... funny thing about Zazu..." she began before putting on the most forced grin.

Simba could only sigh like the beleaguered father he was, sympathizing with his own parents even further...

Thus this Lion King story ends on a most poignant note: farting in a snake's stomach and remembering how Zazu was reduced down to Kiara's dung.

Oh, how it warms the heart. Please be sure to really leave a review and check out my other fics if you're into freaky stuff like me.