Disclaimer: Disney owns Kenai, Koda and everyone else in the movie. I only own Ken'ichi, Kamali and the list of characters in my ff profile.
Ken'ichi stares at nothing. Koda is fast asleep next to him, while Kamali is still on the mammoth behind theirs, probably sleeping.
'I…I can't believe I told him…' Ken'ichi thought to himself.
But he did…Ken'ichi told Koda about his family's fate…Koda now knows the reason for Ken'ichi's bitterness…His hole in his heart…Everything he ever loved…Taken away…
He sighs and tries to fall asleep; all that crying has worn him out…
Chapter 7: A brand new direction
Ken'ichi finds himself in a dark place; no light within sight, just pitch-black darkness…Nothing is seen overhead or in the distance…
"Where…Where am I?" Ken'ichi asked to no one in particular, his question echoing in the darkness.
He takes a few steps forward, and out of the darkness he sees a bear standing at the edge of what looks like a cliff…A closer look is enough for Ken'ichi to realize who that bear is, "Father?!"
The bear looks over his shoulder with a smile, it is his father! Ken'ichi couldn't help but to shed a tear and run after his dad. His father turns to face Ken'ichi, but as he does so he disappears out of thin air. This forced Ken'ichi to stop at the edge, looking around, wondering where in this pitch-black place his father has disappeared to.
"Father! Where'd you go?!" His question echoed in the darkness…But no reply…Instead, the cliff under him began to crumble…It's preparing to fall from under Ken'ichi and threatened to drop him in the pitch black infinite abyss below. The patch of ground separated from its body and began to slowly tilt, forcing Ken'ichi to sink his claws at the patch of ground's edge to prevent himself from sliding off the ledge down to the abyss.
"Ken'ichi!" A familiar voice echoed through Ken'ichi's ears. He opens his eyes to see Koda, standing at the edge of the stable ground, extending his paw to Ken'ichi, "Here! Grab my paw!"
Ken'ichi hesitated at this offer; he's staring at the cub that doomed his father, the cub that has dragged him miles and miles just to keep him company toward the Salmon Run, and then leave him behind when he finds his brother. He feels anguish to accept the help of someone like that, the idea sickens him. Accepting the help of someone like that is like taking a spear to his side.
And yet…Koda was the only one who has showed him hospitality and generosity in his time of need, he helped him to move on from his father's death, even though it wasn't successful. Koda treated Ken'ichi like…a brother. And yet, Ken'ichi kept dissing the cub, saying that he hates him and blaming him for everything. All of this just to grow hatred toward a bear cub who didn't mean to send his father to his death.
"Ken'ichi!" Koda cries out as the ground that is holding Ken'ichi from falling cracks a little bit further away from him.
Ken'ichi still hesitates as he holds on for life. Inside, Ken'ichi hates Koda for what his lack of luck had took his father…But…Deep down, Ken'ichi is actually grateful to have someone who cares about him when those who are originally suppose to fill those feelings are gone.
Ken'ichi may not see it…But he's staring at the answer he's been looking for…Koda…In a way, Koda is his light, his savior, his path, his strength…When Ken'ichi needs help, he can always go to him.
The ledge which Ken'ichi is holding on to is slowly crumbling, soon it'll break and he'll down the endless darkness. His only choice is to trust Koda…Ken'ichi makes his choice…He extends his paw to Koda, who grabs it in time to save Ken'ichi from falling as the ledge crumbles at that last moment.
Koda smiles as he holds his friend from falling. Ken'ichi, in return he…smiles! He's actually smiling back at him!
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The slow opening of one's eyes mark the beginning of a new day as Ken'ichi slowly wakes up with the morning sun beaming down his head through some opening from the tree tops…Wait, he's lying on the green grass in a meadow with a lake close by, not on the mammoths like he was last night. Also, where are Koda and Kamali?
"Good morning, sleepy head," A voice greeted with a laugh.
Ken'ichi shook his head to rid of the sleepiness, and in the lake, looking at Ken'ichi from the inner edge, holding his body up from the water by having his arms out of the water and on solid ground, there's Koda, looking at Ken'ichi with a grin.
"Where are we?" Ken'ichi plainly asked, "I thought we were on the mammoths."
Koda just giggled and got out of the water, "Well, we were getting off track so we had to get off of them. Kamali had to carry you off the mammoths and to this meadow, where we waited for you to wake up."
Ken'ichi scratches his mane as he gets up, still a little bit sleepy. The cool morning breeze blowing against his body, brushing his fur as it passes around, over and under him. Thinking about his own brother who has passed away thanks to the cruelty of the hunters…
Koda looks at Ken'ichi's pondering face; soon he finds his eyes going down to Ken'ichi's neck, where he can barely make out a strange, but almost invisible, line of nearly hairless skin from his neck to his chest…This intrigued him, curiosity has raised by a little…OK, so maybe a lot. "Ken'ichi…" Koda begins as he steps closer to him. "How…How did you get that scar?"
Ken'ichi blinks and looks at Koda, a question he never thought of answering…Never. Ken'ichi sighs. "It's…It's a scar I received when…When those hunters came along and killed my brother…I tried to save him, but I ended up with this wound that ended up giving me this scar…"
Ken'ichi looks away from Koda, that terrible day still fresh in his mind…Those faces from the hunters…His brother's horrific roars in his final seconds…The pain from that wound he could still feel…But the pain of losing his brother was bigger than any wound he could've had…
"Can I see it?" Koda curiously and innocently asked.
Ken'ichi doesn't think much of the scar, as it tends to bring back some memories, though it doesn't bother him when others ask for a glimpse of it. "Sure…"
Koda pads closer to Ken'ichi as he raises his head to let Koda have a better look at the scar. As Koda has a closer look on the scar, he realizes just how deep and long the once fatal wound is, very fatal that could've killed this black cub if wasn't treated quickly. Koda blinks hard and steps back, signaling the end of his inspection on the scar. Ken'ichi lowers his head back down after letting Koda see his scar. And yet, as his silver eyes looks at Koda, the sun hitting Ken'ichi's face, he can see that the scar on Ken'ichi's body has gotten more than from his chest to his neck, but it also has reached his right cheek and barely avoiding his right eye.
"Ah, you're awake."
Koda and Ken'ichi turns to the sides to see Kamali padding back toward them. "Are you guys ready?"
Koda smiles, "I sure am!" He turns and looks at Ken'ichi with a smile. Ken'ichi looks at that smile and remembers the one that Koda gave him in his dream, the same one when he grabbed his paw.
Ken'ichi kept looking at Koda, and for the first time ever since he met Koda, Ken'ichi smiles.
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Everyone is waiting for the next dream
The period outdo the assumptions
The future will always come but
Right now, it's only this instant
As they walk, Koda happily hops around and starts walking straight next to Ken'ichi. He pounces him a bit to set him off his thoughts, which is probably set on his family. Ken'ichi shakes away the thoughts and looks at Koda, who's grinning at him, Ken'ichi just looks again forward, but with a more happy look.
When I look up at the blue sky
The wind blows by
Probably singing
To walk towards the way I feel
As Koda, Ken'ichi and Kamali walk down a river path, some salmons are seen jumping out of the river. Koda sees this and laughs as he jumps into the water to catch some salmon to eat, Kamali chuckles and decides to join him. But Ken'ichi stays behind to look at his reflection in the water.
Cheer up
Like always
The beginning is only about to start
When it doesn't go right
Just laugh
But don't forget
Don't give up
And something can be seen
A splash from the water hits his face, which he then finds out to be Koda, was has splashed him. Ken'ichi shakes his head dry and looks at cub, which's giggling and laughing. He gestures Ken'ichi to jump in, he gives a slight grin and decides to jump in. Koda splashes Ken'ichi again as he swims closer to him, Ken'ichi giggles and splashes Koda again. Soon, both of them are splashing each other. Kamali laughs at their antics, until he decides to splash Koda and get into the fun. Koda splashes Kamali and laughs, but his laughter turns into slight drowns as Ken'ichi sends a big splash toward him. Ken'ichi laughs, but then he stops as Kamali splashes him for Koda. Ken'ichi splashes Kamali, and Koda teams up and sends his assaults on Kamali. Kamali laughs and is overwhelmed by the splashes and retreats while laughing. Koda and Ken'ichi laugh their heads off as they decide to give the teen bear a break.
I adored becoming ten times better
Children become adults and
Runs light into the world
Even that's an old tale now
Ken'ichi sees a school of salmon swimming up stream, and since he's hungry he swims after them pretty slowly and quietly. He gets close and manages to swipe one in his paws, then carries it to the shallow end and begins eating it. Koda, following Ken'ichi's example, does the same, though his catch is a little smaller than Ken'ichi, but nothing much to mope around. He carries it to the shallow end and eats his salmon alongside Ken'ichi. Ken'ichi didn't mind much, even though of what happened between them in the past, he seems to be…Well…Letting go of his anger.
A dream should be
Something unreachable
Just getting a little near
Requires lots of feeling and strength
After eating his salmon, Ken'ichi pads back to the water for a swim around. He swims underwater, seeing the beauty of underwater life with his own eyes. He swims and darts around the underwater area, cooling down from the sun's warmth. He rises out of the water and looks around at Kamali, who's relaxing under the sun, and at Koda, who's catching more fish. He thinks of how these two bears actually care for him, like a small family. He's more intrigued about Kamali though…There's something about it that reminds him of his brother…Like if he's with him all over again.
Such things like courage
Will follow along
Being engrossed will overflow it
Times when it doesn't go right
Are the most important
When you notice
Tomorrow
History will change
Ken'ichi gets out of the water and shakes his fur dry. After that, he walks over to a meadow nearby and looks at the sky with a cool breeze brushing his fur as if someone's hand is stroking his fur, making him feel better. But from behind, Koda playfully tackles him to the ground and starts fumbling around with him. To bears, this method of playing is called wrestling. They fumble about the ground, rolling on top of each other as they roll down a hill, each one getting the best of each other. As they wrestle, Ken'ichi couldn't help but notice Koda's smile, he's happy to see Ken'ichi actually throwing his anger aside for once and really act like the cub he used to be…Though, Koda wishes Ken'ichi wasn't so strong, as he seems to be giving his best to Ken'ichi, who's seem to be holding back a bit.
Cheer up
Like always
The beginning is only about to start
Such things like courage
Will follow along
Being engrossed will overflow it
Times when it doesn't go right
Are the most important
When you notice
Tomorrow
History will change
After a while of wrestling, it ends with Ken'ichi pinning Koda to the ground. Koda laughs as he fails to get Ken'ichi off of him while Ken'ichi breathes heavy to get his strength back, but he also starts laughing. After a good laughter, Ken'ichi gets off of Koda and throws himself to the ground next to him.
"Koda…" Ken'ichi says as he stares at the sky. "Thank you."
"For what?" Koda asks.
"For being there for me…"Ken'ichi replies. "Like a friend…" He then adds.
"Anytime…" Koda then says.
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Begin the Try by Shotaro
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I'm so sorry for the long wait! I had a huge writer's block for this fan-fic. I hope this chapter makes up for that, had a long time thinking for this chapter and I finally wrote it.