AUTHOR'S NOTE – Thank you very much for your kind reviews again! I'm so happy you all keep on reading and reviewing. This time I surpassed myself, updating only 4 days later, hehe. :) But I just couldn't find a good title for this chapter, hope it's okay. Well, now for the personal notes: To Videociraptor: Indeed, I didn't know that "rule". But let's say in the Pride Lands, the firstborn cub is the rightful heir. ;) I hope you keep on reading. ;) To queen Sarabi: Thank you, I'm glad you like my drawings. :) Well, maybe I'm gonna create an account at the Fanart Archive some time, I do have some other drawings... But first, I want to finish this story I think. So, on with the story! Hope you enjoy. ;)

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CHAPTER 8: Not the way things were meant to be

Vitani couldn't believe what Kiara just said. She couldn't move her legs? Fear grabbed Vitani as she looked all about her, trying to think of a way to get Kiara out of here. If only Kovu was here, so he could carry her home. There was no other way, Vitani had to try it.

She lay down next to Kiara, as close to her left side as possible. "Kiara, you have to climb on my back. Hold on to my neck and pull yourself up onto my back as far as you can. We have to get you outta here."

Kiara hesitated for a moment. She figured that she was a little heavier than Vitani and she possibly wouldn't be able to carry her weight. But she also saw no other way, and so Kiara put her forelegs around Vitani's neck and pulled. Vitani winced a little at the pressure to her throat, as Kiara lifted herself onto her back, inch by inch. Kiara placed her paw on Vitani's left side in order to get her hindlegs up better, and Vitani lifted her right hindleg a little to help and push her further up. It seemed like an eternity until Kiara was ready to be carried, and the first time Vitani tried to get up, she almost fell off again. But then Vitani could finally get up on her paws and struggled to bring the two of them back into their Kingdom.

At the Southern border of the Outlands, right in front of the big tree trunk across the river, Vitani collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath. "I'm sorry, Kiara," she coughed. "I need a break, I can't go any further."

"It's okay, Vitani," Kiara soothed her. "You did your best, and I'm thankful for that. And I don't want you to fall down and throw us into the river."

At that moment, they noticed a blue bird flying high above the river. It was Zazu, heading for the place where they were lying, but he hadn't sighted them yet. Never had Kiara been so glad to see him. "Zazu!" she shouted. "Down here!"

Zazu was startled, but immediately soared down at a few feet above the river. "Kiara! Vitani!" he cried. "What happened? Kovu sent me to look for you."

"We were attacked by hyenas," Vitani explained. "Kiara is wounded."

"Zazu, get Kovu here to help us," Kiara said, trying not to show her anger for Kovu which was still inside her. Of course, Zazu was on his way back to the Western border immediately.

-

Meanwhile, Takita was still running along the river, trying not to lose sight of her poor friend Lina who got drifted away by the water. "Lina!" Takita cried in despair. "Hold on!" She looked ahead, from one riverside to the other, until she finally noticed a thick branch growing from the side where she was running. "Look, Lina, there's a branch. Try to get to it!"

Takita stopped to catch her breath again, but as she was watching Lina desperately trying to swim towards the branch, another shock came to her: Just about 200 yards behind the branch, the river simply disappeared – into a waterfall! Takita gasped and quickly started to run again, almost tripping. She raced as fast as she could to reach the branch and tried to push it down a little. Lina just had to make it! She paddled towards the branch with her hindlegs, moving to the very edge of the trunk she was holding on to. She got closer and closer to the branch. She let go off the trunk and jumped...

"NO!!!" Takita panicked – Lina missed and fell back into the water. Now things were happening pretty fast. Seemingly out of nowhere, a furry creature raced to the river and leaped straight into it. Seconds later, the stranger got to the surface again, holding Lina by the scruff. Takita couldn't believe or comprehend what she just saw: It was another lion, maybe few months older than her. He struggled to swim against the current, clawing to the riverbank most of the time. But he finally made it back to the branch and held on to it. Lina got back to her strength, so she could hold on to the branch as well and climb back on solid ground. Totally exhausted and out of breath, she and her lifesavor lay next to Takita.

Moments of shock and bewilderment passed by. As the lion got on his paws again, Takita took the opportunity to have a closer look at Lina's lifesavor: He was visibly taller than her and Lina, but still not quite an adolescent. But his dark brown mane was already growing from his forehead down to the back of his neck, and also on his chest. He had dark tan fur with sand belly and muzzle, and just the tip of his left front paw was sand-colored, too. The color of his eyes was very interesting: It was a light green with little light blue spots.

But before he could speak, Lina got on her paws to face him. She bared her teeth, extended her claws and growled a cub-like growl at him. Takita and the lion both gasped. "What do you think you're doing here?" Lina snarled at him.

The lion said: "I think I came just in time to save you. You should be more thankful."

"He's right, Lina," Takita agreed. "What is wrong with you? He saved your life, he's a hero."

"I don't need a hero!" Lina growled and glared back at the lion. "WE don't need YOU."

Takita gave the "hero" an apologetic look and said to Lina: "You should at least thank him."

Lina drew in her claws and approached Takita, whispering: "Can I talk to you for a second?"

They went quite some distance away from him. Then Lina asked using an appalled tone: "Are you totally crazy? What do you think this is all about?"

Takita didn't know what her friend was talking about: "What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember why we ran away? It's because of my father and my brother! It's all about males! They are selfish, unfair and mean – all of them! And now you want me to thank one of those?"

Takita gasped in disbelief: "First of all, that's not why I ran away – I ran away because I'm your friend and I didn't want you to go alone. Second, not all males are like that. And third, you would've died if he hadn't saved you."

Lina shook her head: "But... this is just terribly wrong! I thought, just the two of us would live here until the Great Kings give me a sign to return and take my place in the Circle of Life."

Takita nudged her: "But how will you know when the time is right? Come on, we don't have to be on our own. Why don't you give him a chance? I think he could teach us some things. And maybe he also ran away, just like us."

Lina looked down and began to think real hard. Sure, maybe he wasn't that bad. At least not as bad as her father. And the few things Vitani told her and Takita about hunting and stuff like that probably weren't enough to survive on their own. This stranger seemed like he knew about those things. Lina sighed and said: "Alright. He'll get his chance. But as soon as he treats us wrong, we ditch him."

Takita smiled. "Yeah! Come on, let's ask him."

With that, they returned to the other lion, Lina still with a hint of aversion, but she managed to say: "Well... okay, um, thanks. I think that was... nice of you."

He rolled his eyes and replied drily: "You're welcome."

"So..." Takita started. "Do you want to join us?"

"Um... maybe. If you want."

"Of course, we'd like to." Takita nudged her friend who hesitated a bit, but then nodded. As Lina didn't speak up, Takita continued: "Where do you come from?"

"Nowhere."

Takita was confused. "What? You've got to have a home! What about your parents? And their Pride?"

"I don't have a home, I don't have parents, and I don't have a Pride. I take care of myself." He simply replied.

"O-kay...." Takita said. "Then... do you live here?"

"No, I'm just wandering around. I wanted to take a look at the Pride Lands today. But just take a look, nothing more."

"What a coincidence!" Takita smiled. "Weare from the Pride Lands."

"But we're not going back!!" Lina interrupted.

"Why so?" The lion asked.

"That's none of your business!" Lina growled.

There was an awkward silence again, until Takita said to the lion: "We never even introduced ourselves. I'm Takita, and this is my best friend, Lina. What is your name?"

The male said in a bored tone: "I don't have a name."

Lina rolled her eyes and sighed in an annoyed way: "You MUST have a name!"

"Well, I don't. But if you wanna call me names..." He cocked an eyebrow. "Call me 'Loner'..."

-

Back at the border between the Outlands and the Pride Lands, Kovu just arrived to behold a terrifying sight: His mate and Queen Kiara unable to move and his sister exhausted and weak. It seemed way worse than the information Zazu had given him. Carefully, Kovu lifted Kiara onto his back with the help of Vitani. Then he balanced over the large tree trunk, his sister following behind him on wobbly legs, heading for Pride Rock.

On the way back, Vitani had told him the whole story and that they hadn't found Lina or Takita. If they had been in the Outlands, they were probably killed by the two hyenas, she concluded mournfully. Kovu sadly reported that he hadn't found them, either. He told Zazu to find Simba and Nala and inform them about the incident. Finally back in the Royal Cave, he laid Kiara down and asked Vitani to call Rafiki. But Kiara said: "No, Kovu, you go get Rafiki. Vitani, you stay with me." Kovu sighed in disappointment and headed out of the cave. Now, Mitauro, Ari, Kinja and Roho were also sitting around Kiara, inquiring what happened. They were all worried, especially Ari...

Kovu came back with Rafiki who examined Kiara throroughly. No one dared to speak during the long examination. One by one, the lionesses of the Pride returned to the Royal Cave, after they had given up searching for Lina and Takita. But they didn't enter the cave at the sight of Rafiki in order not to disturb him. They began to worry and talk about what could've happened to their Queen. As half the Pride was back at Pride Rock, finally, Simba and Nala arrived and ran straight into the cave, more than concerned for their daughter.

"Kiara!" Nala asked in tears. "What happened?"

Simba gulped as Rafiki turned around to face them, wearing a sad look. "Rafiki, how is she?" His voice was trembling heavily.

The wise mandrill took a deep breath, before he explained: "Kiara's spine is severely damaged because of her fall. She won't be able to move her hindlegs for a long time."

Kovu was near tears as well, as he asked: "But she can be cured, can't she?"

Rafiki shook his head slightly. "Oh... I don't know, Kovu. I will do what I can for her, but all we can do is hope and wait." He turned around to Kiara again, closed his eyes and lifted up his stick, waving it over her legs and mumbling mysterious words. Then he gently touched Kiara's shoulder and told her: "I get some medicine for you, Kiara. Be calm." Before he left, he touched Kovu's shoulder in comfort and did the same with Simba and Nala. Nala was crying into Simba's mane as the mandrill left the cave.

Kovu approached his mate and sniffed: "Oh Kiara... this is all my fault. I should've never..."

"Yes, it IS your fault!" Kiara yelled at him in tears. "It's YOUR fault we lost our Lina and it's YOUR fault this happened to me! Only the Great Kings know what else is going to happen to us! Now, leave me alone!"

Kovu opened his mouth to say something, but as Kiara turned her head away from him, he decided to follow Rafiki instead. Ari lay down next to Kiara, crying into her fur. Simba and Nala approached her and nuzzled her, sobbing, but trying to comfort her.

"You'll be fine, dear," Simba said weakly. "Don't worry."

"I hope so," Kiara sighed. "And as long as I can't walk, I want Vitani to lead the hunting party in my stead. And tomorrow, we will send some of the lionesses to search Lina and Takita again. We can't give up."

Rafiki was sitting in his tree, mixing the contents of some pumpkins, passion fruits and several medicinal plants and herbs into some sort of an ointment. Kovu had by now reached the huge tree and called while climbing it: "Rafiki? Please, can I ask you something?"

The mandrill nodded. Kovu sat down, watched him for a while and then took a deep breath. "Rafiki, you have to tell me the truth. Will Kiara be okay or not?"

"As I told you, I do not know. I do everything I can, but we will have to wait and see."

Kovu hung his head and sobbed: "I can't believe all this is happening! You tried to warn me back then, but I didn't listen. I wish I'd never defied the Great Kings!"

Rafiki placed his hand on Kovu's shoulder and said: "There is no use in regretting the past, Kovu. You have to wait what the future holds." He went over to his paintings and picked up some juice from a pumpkin lying at his feet. "Lina might be gone now..." He painted a red line over Lina's head. "But she is still part of the Circle of Life, and if she's still alive, the Great Kings will send her back..." He looked down as he placed his palm on her painting. "But we do not know..." And with that, he smeared the painting with his hand...

-

In the meantime, having no idea of what was happening to their Pride, Lina and Takita were walking about in the desert, following behind the mysterious lion who called himself "Loner". All the way, Takita asked him various questions about his life. But he never turned around as he spoke or gave satisfactory answers.

Eventually, Loner just sighed and said: "Would you please ask me questions I WANT to answer?"

"Okay..." Lina spoke up for the first time since they had left the waterfall. "Where exactly are you taking us?"

For the first time, Loner turned his head and smiled at her as he said: "To a very nice place where I really like to stay. It's not very far any more."

"And where is this place?" Takita asked.

"In the jungle. Well, not directly, but it's like a small jungle near the jungle, hard to describe. But very beautiful, I'm sure you'll like it."

Lina and Takita got more and more excited, but they decided not to ask any more questions. They wanted to be surprised. The sun already began to go down as they finally reached the place Loner was speaking of. Lina and Takita were amazed: A beautiful lake, surrounded by the most wonderful plants and trees they have ever seen. It was just indescribable. The two of them smiled at each other. Sure, it wasn't what they had planned. But they got the feeling that this was the beginning of a wonderful, carefree life...

End of Chapter Eight

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AUTHOR'S NOTE – Wow, long chapter, wasn't it? Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me if you liked it. I just wanted to point out one thing: They're NOT gonna meet Pumbaa & Timon. I totally didn't know how to describe it, but the "small jungle" in this story is not the one where Timon & Pumbaa live. The place looks a little like the one you see when "Can you feel the love tonight" is playing, but it's nothing you've seen before. Now, I plan to bring the next chapter up in a few days already, as there's something going to happen I really can't wait to write. ;) So watch out for chapter nine of TLK3D! And I also recommend Kiara32's story to you, it's really getting great! ;) See ya around! :)