Chapter 2: Simba's Pride
Kitoko sat in the tree, gazing out once more at the pride lands. She sighed. "How come my mother never told me?" She said out loud. Rafiki chuckled a bit. "She didn't have the chance. Your mother was very troubled. She knew if she told you, she would have no choice but to return to these lands, and the memories she left behind." Rafiki tsked and shook his head.
"Come, it is time you met the pride you soon will rule." Kitoko turned and saw Rafiki pointing toward the rock formation she had seen earlier. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and followed him out of the tree and let him lead the way toward the rock.
"Sire! Rafiki is coming," Zazu cried as he landed at Simba's feet. Simba sighed. "Zazu, I told you, call me Simba, Kovu is the King now. And Rafiki knows he is welcome anytime." Simba, the aging ex-King of the pride lands stated. He stretched and then shook his mighty copper mane and sat, gazing down at the little hornbill hopping about at his feet.
"Yes but Sire, a young lioness accompanies him!" Zazu said. Simba shrugged. "So he found a lioness that wants to join the pride, I'll alert Kovu." Simba got up again and turned. Zazu tsked and then turned and flew off. Simba went into the den, where most of his fellow pride landers were sleeping. Simba smiled. "Kovu," he called quietly.
The dark chocolate colored male was laying near Kiara, his mate. He opened an eye, and seeing who it was calling him, he yawned and then got up. Quickly he stretched and then softly padded over to his father-in-law. "Hmm?" He said.
"King duties." Simba said, and gestured for him to follow. Kovu did so and the emerged in bright sunlight outside the den. Kovu shielded his eyes for a moment, letting them adjust to the brightness. "Ah Rafiki! It's good to see you old friend!" Simba said, walking over and hugging the old mandrill.
Rafiki smiled. "Yes, good to see you to." Rafiki said. Simba turned his gaze toward Kitoko. He smiled and then bowed.
"And who is this young lioness you have brought with you?" He asked, watching Kitoko bow back to him.
Rafiki turned and smiled at her. "She is an old friend of mine as well. Her name is Kitoko." Simba turned and smiled once more at Kitoko.
"Beautiful?" He smiled. "Well you certainly fit your name." Kitoko felt a blush rising in her cheeks.
"Thank you your majesty," She said, bowing her head to him. She figured he was King, seeing as he had been the first to address her. Simba smiled and shook his head.
"I am afraid that title belongs to my son-in-law here, Kovu. He is the King of these lands." Kitoko bowed to him.
"Forgive me," she said. Kovu only nodded. "I wish for a place to stay," Kitoko said, saying it more as a statement than a question. Simba turned to Kovu.
"Well?" He said. Kovu cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Have you no pride?" He asked. Kitoko sighed.
"My Pride has been split up. It consisted only of three members." She paused, thinking for a moment. "The other two were killed." She turned her head away.
Kovu nodded. "I see, well then, welcome to the Pride lands, so long as you do not betray us, you are welcome to stay." Kitoko smiled.
"Thank you," she said. She bowed once more. This time both Kovu and Simba bowed at the same time.
"I best be going," Rafiki said, smiling. Kitoko turned. "Rafiki! Wait!" she called, walking after him. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Simba and Kovu were not listening.
"Rafiki, how am I going to find out what my mother didn't tell me?" she questioned.
Rafiki shook his head. "Time, in time you will see the answers you seek. Be patient, the great kings will reveal to you what you seek when the time comes." Kitoko stopped and watched him. She heaved a heavy sigh.
Then she got to her feet and walked back up the steps. She smiled at Simba and Kovu.
"I'm sorry, I never got your name," she said, turning to Simba. "My name? Oh, forgive me, I am Simba." Kitoko nodded.
"Pleased to meet you." She laughed. Then stopped as she gazed into his eyes. There was something oddly familiar about them. Simba noticed to. He frowned as he gazed into hers as well.
Both had the almond eyes of their mother, but neither seemed to be able to place where it was they had seen the eyes before. Kovu, seeing how intently they were staring at each other, cleared his throat.
"Um, I think it's time for the evening hunt," he said. Simba and Kitoko tore each other's gazes and turned to face Kovu. "Oh, alright, tell Nala to assemble the hunting party then."
Kovu gazed at Kitoko for a moment. A flash of dislike crossed his eyes. Kitoko ignored it. She had seen how he was when she first saw him. He hadn't really trusted her. And it almost seemed at though he had choked the whole time he was telling her she was welcome in his pride. Kitoko knew she would have to keep a careful eye out for him, even if he was the King.
Kovu retreated to the den. "Nala is my mate, wonderful huntress really." Kitoko nodded.
"Do you mind if I go have a look around?" she said. Simba shrugged.
"Go ahead, just keep an eye out for Zazu, he's a blue hornbill. If you get lost, just call for him, he'll help you find your way back." Simba explained.
Kitoko nodded. Then, feeling like a cub about to explore for the first time, she bounded down the steps and ran out into the lands she was destined to rule.
Kitoko sat in the tree, gazing out once more at the pride lands. She sighed. "How come my mother never told me?" She said out loud. Rafiki chuckled a bit. "She didn't have the chance. Your mother was very troubled. She knew if she told you, she would have no choice but to return to these lands, and the memories she left behind." Rafiki tsked and shook his head.
"Come, it is time you met the pride you soon will rule." Kitoko turned and saw Rafiki pointing toward the rock formation she had seen earlier. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and followed him out of the tree and let him lead the way toward the rock.
"Sire! Rafiki is coming," Zazu cried as he landed at Simba's feet. Simba sighed. "Zazu, I told you, call me Simba, Kovu is the King now. And Rafiki knows he is welcome anytime." Simba, the aging ex-King of the pride lands stated. He stretched and then shook his mighty copper mane and sat, gazing down at the little hornbill hopping about at his feet.
"Yes but Sire, a young lioness accompanies him!" Zazu said. Simba shrugged. "So he found a lioness that wants to join the pride, I'll alert Kovu." Simba got up again and turned. Zazu tsked and then turned and flew off. Simba went into the den, where most of his fellow pride landers were sleeping. Simba smiled. "Kovu," he called quietly.
The dark chocolate colored male was laying near Kiara, his mate. He opened an eye, and seeing who it was calling him, he yawned and then got up. Quickly he stretched and then softly padded over to his father-in-law. "Hmm?" He said.
"King duties." Simba said, and gestured for him to follow. Kovu did so and the emerged in bright sunlight outside the den. Kovu shielded his eyes for a moment, letting them adjust to the brightness. "Ah Rafiki! It's good to see you old friend!" Simba said, walking over and hugging the old mandrill.
Rafiki smiled. "Yes, good to see you to." Rafiki said. Simba turned his gaze toward Kitoko. He smiled and then bowed.
"And who is this young lioness you have brought with you?" He asked, watching Kitoko bow back to him.
Rafiki turned and smiled at her. "She is an old friend of mine as well. Her name is Kitoko." Simba turned and smiled once more at Kitoko.
"Beautiful?" He smiled. "Well you certainly fit your name." Kitoko felt a blush rising in her cheeks.
"Thank you your majesty," She said, bowing her head to him. She figured he was King, seeing as he had been the first to address her. Simba smiled and shook his head.
"I am afraid that title belongs to my son-in-law here, Kovu. He is the King of these lands." Kitoko bowed to him.
"Forgive me," she said. Kovu only nodded. "I wish for a place to stay," Kitoko said, saying it more as a statement than a question. Simba turned to Kovu.
"Well?" He said. Kovu cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Have you no pride?" He asked. Kitoko sighed.
"My Pride has been split up. It consisted only of three members." She paused, thinking for a moment. "The other two were killed." She turned her head away.
Kovu nodded. "I see, well then, welcome to the Pride lands, so long as you do not betray us, you are welcome to stay." Kitoko smiled.
"Thank you," she said. She bowed once more. This time both Kovu and Simba bowed at the same time.
"I best be going," Rafiki said, smiling. Kitoko turned. "Rafiki! Wait!" she called, walking after him. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Simba and Kovu were not listening.
"Rafiki, how am I going to find out what my mother didn't tell me?" she questioned.
Rafiki shook his head. "Time, in time you will see the answers you seek. Be patient, the great kings will reveal to you what you seek when the time comes." Kitoko stopped and watched him. She heaved a heavy sigh.
Then she got to her feet and walked back up the steps. She smiled at Simba and Kovu.
"I'm sorry, I never got your name," she said, turning to Simba. "My name? Oh, forgive me, I am Simba." Kitoko nodded.
"Pleased to meet you." She laughed. Then stopped as she gazed into his eyes. There was something oddly familiar about them. Simba noticed to. He frowned as he gazed into hers as well.
Both had the almond eyes of their mother, but neither seemed to be able to place where it was they had seen the eyes before. Kovu, seeing how intently they were staring at each other, cleared his throat.
"Um, I think it's time for the evening hunt," he said. Simba and Kitoko tore each other's gazes and turned to face Kovu. "Oh, alright, tell Nala to assemble the hunting party then."
Kovu gazed at Kitoko for a moment. A flash of dislike crossed his eyes. Kitoko ignored it. She had seen how he was when she first saw him. He hadn't really trusted her. And it almost seemed at though he had choked the whole time he was telling her she was welcome in his pride. Kitoko knew she would have to keep a careful eye out for him, even if he was the King.
Kovu retreated to the den. "Nala is my mate, wonderful huntress really." Kitoko nodded.
"Do you mind if I go have a look around?" she said. Simba shrugged.
"Go ahead, just keep an eye out for Zazu, he's a blue hornbill. If you get lost, just call for him, he'll help you find your way back." Simba explained.
Kitoko nodded. Then, feeling like a cub about to explore for the first time, she bounded down the steps and ran out into the lands she was destined to rule.