Author's note: The characters mentioned in the following are not mine. The other lionesses originated in the movie and strictly do not belong to me but the names given are my own creation and I developed their personalities. Hope you enjoy. Conclusion coming soon.
Not long after, Kovu was back along with Rafiki. The normally lively Rafiki, seemed subdued, after hearing the awful news.
While some distance away, Kovu warned Rafiki to stay behind, as he would be needed later rather than sooner in their rescue plan. Kovu continued forward to survey the present situation.
Kovu instinctively crouched down as he neared the battleground.
Heart pounding, his eyes widened with fear.
"Oh my goodness," he said "Where are the lionesses?"
His skin prickled as he glanced grassland.
The men! Look. Simba and Zia's down. There're preparing to load them into the cage alongside with Kiara!
"We need a plan… we need a plan…" Kovu said as he stepped backwards, wanting to break bad news to Rafiki.
Argh! Something was crushing Kovu's back!
Kovu, caught off guard, spun around and whacked his claw at whatever was there… and missed.
"No! Kovu don't hit me," a female voice said.
Kovu stopped clawing at air and gazed at the young feline in front on him.
"Norah?" Kovu asked.
"Yes," Norah answered.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be fighting down there?"
"Zia and Simba are taken… I was afraid and…"
"There is no time for this!" his eyes narrowed, angry and grieved at the same time, thinking how their king has been taken away too.
Norah lowered her head, ears pressed back.
Zia and Simba. Norah. Where were the others – Valeeni, Sobiki, Rei, Fillay, Lara and Kamia?
"We're here," a deeper voice said, answering the question in his mind. "We don't know what to do. Our leader is gone."
"We need a plan and we need to keep these guys busy," Kovu said. "So they don't drive off. We have to try."
"How?" Valeeni asked. "They have those dart guns."
"I think we just distract them or make them afraid. Then use Rafiki to unlock the cage and get the others out. But we can't kill them."
"Why?" Valeeni asked.
"Because…" Kovu searched for words. "Because they are in a way like us. Living creatures. Killing, well, would only increase hatred. It's no use and will accomplish nothing. Anyway, it might mean they would send more people down here and endanger the pride. They would want to kill us too."
"Kovu!" Norah said. "If we do anything it must be quick. Look! They are already loading Simba and Zia onto their Ute. They'll leave if we don't do something."
"Okay. Just let me think of how to trap them okay?" Kovu said, pacing back and forth. Then he smacked his paw onto a stone, making it roll across the dirt floor. "Doesn't matter, if we think too long…"
"But even if we do manage to slow the men down a while… where would the keys be?" Valeeni asked. "There's the lock to worry about."
Kovu glanced at the cage now with all 3 lions inside and his heart skipped a beat. And there it was, a lock securing the door to the cage shut.
He growled.
"We must find the keys," he prowled and started pacing back and forth again. "But how? How? Think. Think. We need to do something."
"Kovu," Norah said softly. "They'll see you – if you go on any longer."
Kovu raised his maned head and stopped.
"Why not try and search for it somehow?" Valeeni inquired. "As some of us keep them busy – we have 6 of us plus you. So 7 altogether. Allow for 2 lionesses to keep the men busy. The other 3 team up and look for the key."
Kovu blinked and paused. He swished his tail slightly. "Actually. That sounds like – a great idea."
Kovu. You need to be smarter than this. You need to learn to look after your future pride. Next time, they might not be the ones to come up with the answers…
Still, he was glad Valeeni came up with such as great plan.
"Kovu?" Norah's voice cut into his mind. "Which group am I in?"
"Right," Kovu said. "I think… Lara, Valeeni and I find the keys. Rei and Fillay take Ambrose. Sobiki and Kamia take Tim. Be careful. Make sure someone grabs the gun away quickly. That is important."
Silence.
"Everyone understand?" Kovu said as he turned his head around to make eye contact with everybody.
"Yes," the lionesses replied in unison.
"Remember we are doing it for Simba, Zia and Kiara," he said as he continued facing them. His eyes staring at them in determination. In his heart, he was thinking of Kiara.
My beloved Kiara. I will save you.
"We are doing this for the pride," he continued. But do not kill the men, distract them as you know how, make them feel scared, and give us time. Remember that they have up to four guns. Okay. Is everyone in position?"
"We'll go now…" Norah said and headed off. The two groups of lionesses stalked until they were near some tall vegetation and hid behind them, hardly breathing less they make any noise.
Kovu's group circled around the Ute until they were also behind some tall vegetation.
Kovu's flexible cat's tail was raised. The dark brown tuff of fur can be slightly seen through the olive green shrubs.
The signal was given… then pandemonium broke out.
Roar! Four nimble lionesses leapt out of their hiding place and landed near Ambrose and Tim. Teeth bared.
But Tim and Ambrose were also prepared.
"Shoot them!" Ambrose once again gave the command.
Tim finger was almost at the trigger but Sobiki swiftly batted his hand with a paw. Immediately, he released the gun and screamed. She picked it up with her mouth.
She found another lying on the dirt floor and she carried both in her mouth. Instantly, she sped away. Kamia leapt on top of Tim and pinned him gently to the ground, following Kovu's order not to kill him. Her large lioness's head was lowered. Her breath could be felt as she breathed into Tim's face.
"Argh!" Tim said. His arm was shielding his eyes and head to protect himself. "Get away!"
His arm roamed the ground to search for something to use as a weapon. Anything.
"Tim! How could you not have been ready for them!" Ambrose screamed. Fillay had pushed him on the ground and pinned him also, beginning to lick his face to scare him. Rei was busy collecting Ambrose's other gun and storing it away.
"Ah yuck!" Ambrose said in disgust. "Get away you creature."
"Don't you get away!" Fillay said. "Look there's a gun underneath his shirt. Help me. Don't let him move to get it."
Rei wrestled with the fat but quite strong man. Their communication to each other had only sounded like a mixture of growls to him.
"Kovu! Hurry!" Fillay shouted. "I don't know how much time we have left."
"Where is it?" the anxious Kovu jumped onto the Ute and began pawing through a bunch of camp equipment. All these objects were piled up messily everywhere. But…
There! One shiny silver key!
"Valeeni!" Kovu spun around. "Grab Rafiki. We need him now hurry!"
Valeeni departed in a blur.
Kovu protected the keys in his mouth and leapt off the truck to help Sobiki with Tim. Lara, of her own accord, assisted in keeping the fighting Ambrose on the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the distant shape of the baboon knuckling along the ground. He was only distracted for one second.
Ambrose had already blindly fired the gun underneath his shirt as he used a stick to fend off the lionesses, who had pulled back temporarily to avoid being hit. He fire a real pistol gun. And the bullet was heading Kovu's way.