For those of you wondering what in the world happened to Tiaru, Taka and
Kita, this chapter tells you. Now that you know Tiku is not dead and is
not going to die, it's time to find out what happened to his parents and
babysitter right? Well here it is. Oh and please note that this chapter
is going to take place at night. The next night after Tiku's escape. Just
thought you needed to know, so anywhere here it is:
Chapter 17: a visit from Nearu
Kita lay down on the small, flat, cold rock. She could hear Taka and Tiaru lay down not far away. A single tear rolled down her cheek. In a way she wanted to be with them, but at the same time, she didn't. She had been born a loner, hadn't she? Weren't loners supposed to be by themselves? Another tear rolled down her cheek. She began to regret ever being born. She regretted trusting Tiaru and following him to defeat Howler. If she hadn't fallen in love with Tiaru, none of this would have happened.
Tiku would have never been born, and her heart would have never been broken. Kita sobbed and looked up at the stars. They told her nothing. "Why does everything have to be so hard?" she sobbed. She buried her face in her paws and cried. She cried for the loss of her beloved son Tiku. She cried for all her regrets. She cried because she felt that she could never be truly happy again.
As Taka found a nice place to lay down, Tiaru sat up and watched him. He watched the other lion circle a few times and then lay down, fold his paws and lay his head down, looking away from Tiaru. Tiaru sighed and listened to the sounds of the night. He heard the distant call from a pack of jackals. He heard the soft rustling of birds in their nests, each trying to get comfortable for the night. And on the rock formation only a few feet away, he heard the quiet sobs of Kita.
Tiaru laid his ears back in sadness. He to missed Tiku. But part of him would not except that the young cub was dead. Somehow he had a feeling that Tiku was alive. Tiaru looked up at the stars. He remembered Kovu telling Miku and Kita that the great kings of the past were up there. He smiled. He knew Nearu was up there to. She may not have been a queen, but she was a great lioness for sure.
Tiaru sighed and continued to stare at the stars. Even though he thought Tiku as alive, Taka and Kita were convinced otherwise. Kita couldn't stand being in the lone lands anymore. They were full of painful memories. So they'd left. Shortly after they'd announced Tiku dead, the lone pride had left their lands. Tiaru sighed once more and lay down. For a second he thought he saw the shape of Nearu in the stars, but almost as soon as he thought he saw it, it was a gone. He laid his head on his paws and letting a short breath out he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"Kita." a familiar voice called. "Kita." Kita slowly opened her tear strained eyes. She sat up and shook her head and then looked around. She was still on the rock. "Kita." the voice called again. Kita turned and saw a form of Nearu sitting on another rock above her. Nearu eyes were half lidded and she smiled down at her daughter. Kita smiled back, "Mother, what-what're you doing here?" she asked. She knew she was dreaming, but it didn't matter. Nearu was barely ever able to visit her.
"Kita, where are you?" Nearu asked, frowning. Kita took a step back. "What?" she asked. "Mother, I'm standing right here." She said. Nearu shook her head. "You are not in your lands anymore Kita." Nearu said. It was Kita's turn to shake her head. "They're not mine. They're not anyone's anymore. They're just.the lone lands." Kita said. Nearu shook her head once more. "No dear, you must go back." Kita looked up. "What?" she exclaimed. Tears began to build once more. "I can't go back!" a few tears slid down her cheeks. "Don't you understand? There's nothing there to go back for! All that's there is memories I don't want to think about! I'll never be happy again, and I'll never be able to escape the memories if I go back there!" she yelled, tears now pouring from her already reddened eyes.
Nearu sighed. "Kita," she said, looking directly into her daughter's eyes. "Listen to me, I haven't much time." She said. Kita choked on a sob as she saw the body of her mother begin to fade. "The only way you will ever be truly happy again is if you go back." She said. Kita shook her head, "NO!" she yelled. "I have never lied to you before Kita, trust me, go home." She said firmly. Her voice was beginning to fade now. "I can't go back! I can't!" Kita yelled. "If you want to be happy again Kita, go home!" Nearu said, her voice a mere whisper. Kita's tears were pouring freely once more. "How can I be happy if I go back?" she yelled as she watched her mother fade more and more. "Go home." Nearu said, "Go home and you'll see."
Kita awoke breathing hard and with wet cheeks. She got up and looked around. A slight wind brushed past her and she sighed. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't go back. She just couldn't. Why couldn't Nearu understand? Tiku was dead, there was no ifs ands or buts about it. He was gone. But wait, if Tiku were dead, wouldn't he be with Nearu? A spark of hope lighted in Kita. Maybe, just maybe Tiku wasn't dead! She thought. Kita turned and climbed off the rock.
She walked over to Tiaru and settled down beside him. She felt good; Tiku might still be alive! She sighed against Tiaru and laid her head on her paws. As her eyes began to get heavy with tiredness she thought about Tiku, and wondered if he really was alive, and if so.if he was safe.
Chapter 17: a visit from Nearu
Kita lay down on the small, flat, cold rock. She could hear Taka and Tiaru lay down not far away. A single tear rolled down her cheek. In a way she wanted to be with them, but at the same time, she didn't. She had been born a loner, hadn't she? Weren't loners supposed to be by themselves? Another tear rolled down her cheek. She began to regret ever being born. She regretted trusting Tiaru and following him to defeat Howler. If she hadn't fallen in love with Tiaru, none of this would have happened.
Tiku would have never been born, and her heart would have never been broken. Kita sobbed and looked up at the stars. They told her nothing. "Why does everything have to be so hard?" she sobbed. She buried her face in her paws and cried. She cried for the loss of her beloved son Tiku. She cried for all her regrets. She cried because she felt that she could never be truly happy again.
As Taka found a nice place to lay down, Tiaru sat up and watched him. He watched the other lion circle a few times and then lay down, fold his paws and lay his head down, looking away from Tiaru. Tiaru sighed and listened to the sounds of the night. He heard the distant call from a pack of jackals. He heard the soft rustling of birds in their nests, each trying to get comfortable for the night. And on the rock formation only a few feet away, he heard the quiet sobs of Kita.
Tiaru laid his ears back in sadness. He to missed Tiku. But part of him would not except that the young cub was dead. Somehow he had a feeling that Tiku was alive. Tiaru looked up at the stars. He remembered Kovu telling Miku and Kita that the great kings of the past were up there. He smiled. He knew Nearu was up there to. She may not have been a queen, but she was a great lioness for sure.
Tiaru sighed and continued to stare at the stars. Even though he thought Tiku as alive, Taka and Kita were convinced otherwise. Kita couldn't stand being in the lone lands anymore. They were full of painful memories. So they'd left. Shortly after they'd announced Tiku dead, the lone pride had left their lands. Tiaru sighed once more and lay down. For a second he thought he saw the shape of Nearu in the stars, but almost as soon as he thought he saw it, it was a gone. He laid his head on his paws and letting a short breath out he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"Kita." a familiar voice called. "Kita." Kita slowly opened her tear strained eyes. She sat up and shook her head and then looked around. She was still on the rock. "Kita." the voice called again. Kita turned and saw a form of Nearu sitting on another rock above her. Nearu eyes were half lidded and she smiled down at her daughter. Kita smiled back, "Mother, what-what're you doing here?" she asked. She knew she was dreaming, but it didn't matter. Nearu was barely ever able to visit her.
"Kita, where are you?" Nearu asked, frowning. Kita took a step back. "What?" she asked. "Mother, I'm standing right here." She said. Nearu shook her head. "You are not in your lands anymore Kita." Nearu said. It was Kita's turn to shake her head. "They're not mine. They're not anyone's anymore. They're just.the lone lands." Kita said. Nearu shook her head once more. "No dear, you must go back." Kita looked up. "What?" she exclaimed. Tears began to build once more. "I can't go back!" a few tears slid down her cheeks. "Don't you understand? There's nothing there to go back for! All that's there is memories I don't want to think about! I'll never be happy again, and I'll never be able to escape the memories if I go back there!" she yelled, tears now pouring from her already reddened eyes.
Nearu sighed. "Kita," she said, looking directly into her daughter's eyes. "Listen to me, I haven't much time." She said. Kita choked on a sob as she saw the body of her mother begin to fade. "The only way you will ever be truly happy again is if you go back." She said. Kita shook her head, "NO!" she yelled. "I have never lied to you before Kita, trust me, go home." She said firmly. Her voice was beginning to fade now. "I can't go back! I can't!" Kita yelled. "If you want to be happy again Kita, go home!" Nearu said, her voice a mere whisper. Kita's tears were pouring freely once more. "How can I be happy if I go back?" she yelled as she watched her mother fade more and more. "Go home." Nearu said, "Go home and you'll see."
Kita awoke breathing hard and with wet cheeks. She got up and looked around. A slight wind brushed past her and she sighed. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't go back. She just couldn't. Why couldn't Nearu understand? Tiku was dead, there was no ifs ands or buts about it. He was gone. But wait, if Tiku were dead, wouldn't he be with Nearu? A spark of hope lighted in Kita. Maybe, just maybe Tiku wasn't dead! She thought. Kita turned and climbed off the rock.
She walked over to Tiaru and settled down beside him. She felt good; Tiku might still be alive! She sighed against Tiaru and laid her head on her paws. As her eyes began to get heavy with tiredness she thought about Tiku, and wondered if he really was alive, and if so.if he was safe.