Author's note: All the characters belong to their rightful owners – though the other lionesses originated in the second Lion King movie, I created their names and developed their personalities. This chapter is longer than the previous chapter. As it is an action story, there may be some loopholes, which I tried to keep as minor as possible. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter two
Simba looked nervous as his sleek cat body began restlessly pacing in front of the den.
"Something must have gone wrong," he reasoned. "She's still not back…"
"Simba!" Kovu said. He had been running. He lowered his lion head as he breathed heavily.
"She's been taken!"
"What?!" said Simba. "How?" He stepped closer to Kovu, his brown lion eyes narrowed, fierce and angry. The other lionesses' ears perked up.
"Don't know! Some poachers or something have taken her. They have a truck."
Then Simba turned away. He said, "They'll be miles away by now."
"Simba," said Sarobi, his mother. "We have to try."
"Simba?" said Nala. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I should have allowed you to let her be supervised…" She sadly nudged her mate.
He growled, a deep low noise escaping his throat. His teeth were bared.
"I will find her! And teach them a lesson. We move now."
"But what about the Pride Lands?" one of the lionesses, Vitani inquired, her head cocked to one side and her tail raised. "Who will rule when you are away?"
"Nala will stay behind," his voice answered. "And you. Settle things when we are away."
With that, Nala left with tail and head down, back into the den, flopped down, head on her paws.
"Kovu?" Simba said.
The dark brown lion sat, silently, head lowered with tail gently swishing side to side. Deep in thought, he was.
"Kovu," he repeated and the lion responded.
"I want you to come with me. I'll need your help."
"Come on… slow down," one of the poachers said. "It's too hot. Let's rest."
"What are you walking about?" the other said, fat and chubby. "They'll come for us."
"No. They won't."
"Let's just go a little further."
They drove another 500 metres before slamming to a stop.
"Ok. Let's look at our prize," the fat man said, smiling wickedly. "Oh, she's a beauty, that one."
"Still alive, sir."
"Yes. That's fine. Good. Good. We could either skin her or sell her to the circus. Two options. Now, let's us stop and rest here for the night! Set up the tent Tim."
Tim complied without a word. He reached for the back of the Ute and grabbed the tent.
Just then, the king's majordomo Zazu appeared and landed gracefully near the entrance of the cave. Not knowing what had happened, Zazu approached Simba in his normal more cheerful manner.
"Ah, your Majesty –" he began.
"Zazu! Fly ahead and find the present location of Kiara," Simba ordered.
Zazu hesitated, as he didn't know what to do.
"Go!" Simba said. "She has been captured by… by some humans! Hurry!"
"Oh no… oh no…Yes Sire," Zazu said finally before flapping away. He was hit then with the seriousness with the situation.
Now, the pride had 15 lionesses all together, including Nala and Kiara.
Simba had decided to take 7 with him, leaving the others to look after Pride Rock. He took with him Zia, Kamia, Lara, Norah, Valeeni, Sobiki and Rei.
Kovu, who also had some idea where Kiara was, was leading the Pride. He was the younger and stronger male lion now. His mane was becoming fuller, darker. Someday, he may be king. The whole group began striding towards their destination.
After a while, Zazu squawked and braked and landed in front of Kovu.
"You are heading in the right direction," he pointed forward to a place away from the Pride lands, towards the place where the Outsiders used to live, with one of his blue and black wings. "She is over there."
Kovu was taken aback slightly as he remembered the scar on his face. He would have to travel through the Outlands again.
They probably chose to go to that place because they think lions no longer roam there.
"Zazu," Simba commanded. "I want you continue to fly overhead. Spy the capturers' activities."
"Yes, your Majesty," Zazu replied and flew away again.
Simba immediately turned to Kovu. "I didn't know there were humans nearby."
"Probably not very near. But Africa has humans too. I have seen some – but they did not hurt us. But things have changed. They come for us now. They would have lived somewhere outside the Outsiders' territory for a short time. They live in groups called cities."
"There! look!" said Zia. "A white – what was it called? – truck! Yes! Over there. The humans are there."
"Let's hurry!" Simba said.
The hot African sun was beginning its journey downwards, and the horizon has already started to swallow it. It was late afternoon and night was approaching.
Within ten minutes, they were close enough to hear the capturer's voices.
"That's Kiara," Kovu whispered to Simba's ear as he crouched near the older lion behind tall vegetation. "In the cage."
Kiara was lying down still as stone inside. The only sign she was alive was the steady rise and fall of her side.
"Let's discuss the plan at another place Simba," Kovu said.
"No! We do it now and tonight. Or it will be too late."
Kovu hesitated.
"We must do it now. You hear? You want her back, we need to do it now, form a plan now. Once they get back to the city we will lose her."
Kovu bowed his head. "Whatever you say. I trust your decision."
"Everyone, on the count of three take the younger man. Don't kill him. Just startle him," Simba said. "Zia and I will take care of the other."
"What do I do?" Kovu said.
"Grab Rafiki. We might need his fingers."
Kovu sneaked away stealthily before breaking into a run.
They were quiet enough and far away enough for the men to not hear them. Yet they could reach them within 2 to 3 seconds of a sprint.
"Ok." Simba said as he assembled everyone into positions quickly. "Ready?"
The lionesses did not reply as their feline bodies were crouched near tall vegetation, ready for the task at hand.
"Good. Ok. One…"
The lionesses began to bare their teeth.
"Two…"
Now where was the fat man? There! By the side of the tent, ready to built a fire… we shall try and get him…
"Three!"
Zia leapt out of her hiding place and smacked her paws with retracted claws on the man's head.
"Arghh!" the fat man screamed, falling stunned as he instinctively reached for his dart gun on the ground.
"Ambrose!" yelled the younger man.
Simba threw his heavy body on Ambrose to prevent him from moving.
"Help me you stupid thing!" he spat as the lion roared and grabbed the gun. Simba began to run away.
"Get the gun!" he screamed. "Kill it!"
But Zia was on him.
"Look, here," Ambrose grabbed the gun hidden underneath his shirt. "Watch it, you animal!"
"Zia!" Simba said.
"Watch out!" Zazu yelled. His voice, though, sounded soft and distant.
I can't hurt him… no… just stop him, pull his arm away from the gun…
Zia eyes widened as she saw the dark whizzed through the air and hit her flank. She yelped. Tim, still shaking, had shot her. The other lionesses were attempting to knock him down while Zia instantly attempted to crawl to safety.
Tim, an accurate shooter, shot at Rei who leapt at him, at her neck and she fell with a thud. The other lionesses, slightly afraid were retreating.
"Oh dear," Ambrose said sarcastically. "How sad. One more lion we'll have added to our collection. Well done Tim. Keep going. We can have this whole bunch of animals to sell."
This time, Ambrose himself aimed. Fire again. It hit Zia on the shoulder.
There was no hope for Zia.
An angry Simba bit his teeth down onto the man's shirt - tearing . He hadn't wanted to.
It was a close call. Too close.
"Argh!" Ambrose replied though now he was more frightened of the power of a full grown lion. The power Simba can have.
But Simba wasn't aware…
Whish! A dart, too, was sticking out of his neck.
The last thing Simba saw was Zia dropping to the ground.