Rose snuck into her room, trying to move slowly enough so the floor won't creak under her feet. She passed her bed and dresser, coming to a stop by Kimya's floral comforter and sleeping form. She smiled then grinned deviously as she prepared to dive onto her bed to wake her up, but yelped with shock then the girl suddenly dove from her bed and tackled her.
Rose stared with surprise then laughed quietly and hugged her. "You have the reflexes of a lioness, Kimya! Oh, I have something to tell you."
Arina blinked and let her up, sitting next to her. Rose smiled and sat up next to her.
"We're moving back home to New York in a couple of days, Kimya."
Arina blinked, confused, then suddenly it struck her. Just like the migrating birds! She became uneasy about leaving her home, but it was brief. She found security in her choice to remain with Rose as she leaned against her, sighing. Simba, give me courage…
She stood up slowly and smiled down at Rose then walked outside the room and to the front door, staring out the small window. She needed to reach her pride and say goodbye. Even if it meant finding the way back home herself in this body and risking death…
Would she risk death? She hesitated, not wanting to lose Rose, but not wanting to leave without saying goodbye. Rose came up behind Arina and smiled, opening her mouth to say something. Arina turned to her and was about to return the smile when suddenly a wave of darkness swept over her, as familiar and damning as the day she ran from her father. She staggered backwards and fell to the ground, not hearing Rose's confused yell.
The forest was strange and dark, and her legs felt uncomfortable. She looked down and realized who she was again – Arina, Princess of the Pride Lands. She cried out and shook her head quickly, backing up several steps. She bumped into something and turned, seeing Aime standing behind her. The goddess knelt down, laying a paw on her shoulder. Next to her, the fish swam.
"Arina, Princess! Welcome home. We will have you back to normal soon, Prin-"
"No, no!" She twisted away and growled loudly. "I don't want to go back! Please. Don't make me go back!"
"Go back where?"
The other Goddesses appeared, and she spun around to face them. Liena stepped forwards, confused but smiling. Arina looked with panic to all of the faces and they all looked the same, hopeful and expectant. Liena spoke quietly to her as she began to act like a mouse trapped in the center of a circle of cats.
"We are sending you home, Arina. Your father misses you. Maten will be taken care of and then…"
"I don't want to go back to Pride Rock!"
All seven looked like they had just been shot in the chest. They stared at her with wide eyes before Liena stammered.
"B-But, we only int-tended you to d-draw off fire…"
"I don't want to go to Pride Rock, Goddesses! I want to stay with Rose!" She shook her head quickly. "I love Rose, don't you understand?"
They fell silent and said nothing for a long time. Even Amber, who had been ousted as the Council's "leader" in favor of Liena, let her anger slip in favor of shock. The intended union was most unorthodox – a lioness princess with a human female? Surely the Great Kings wouldn't settle for it. Arina, however, looked determined.
The silence was suddenly broken by a loud cry.
"Arina!"
Kiara bounded into the center of the circle, hugging her daughter close. Arina returned the embrace warmly then looked up to see Kovu, tall and powerful. She stared at him, tilting her head and trying to buy herself time.
"Father, what happened to your eye?"
He glared at Amber then turned to her, forcing a smile.
"I got into a fight with an angry… Bird. Are you ready to come home, Arina? Pride Rock needs you."
Arina trembled and looked to her mother. Kiara, who had never judged her before, wouldn't judge her now. She steeled herself, trying to predict his reaction, drew in a deep breath…
"Arina won't be going home."
Kovu stared at Amber then looked to Arina.
"Is this true?"
She nodded slowly and Kovu felt a pain in his chest. He shook his head slowly, opening his mouth to say something – anything – to change her mind. He fought for her, faced the Council for her, lost his eye for her, agonized for her… And now she was going to turn on him? Just like this? This is how she thanked him?
"Arina…"
"Father…"
Kiara stood by her, giving her some strength. She took a breath then continued quietly, but her voice began to grow stronger as she gathered the courage she needed to turn her back on her father and family for good.
"Father, I was happy once. When Simba was alive and Maten was my friend and you would watch us play from Pride Rock. I was happy then. I was happy when Vitani would walk us to the watering hole and even to the one on the borders of the Pride Lands and swim us to the giant rock in the middle so we could watch the fish. I was happy when you took me to see Mufasa's grave and told me his story, the story that Simba told us by starlight the night before. I didn't want anything to change.
But they had to, because Maten was dangerous. Because of who his mother was, who his grandparents were, he was dangerous. So they told Simba to kill him. Because of that I lost Simba. I lost Maten. I lost you, father. I lost my faith in the Pride, in the Council. I can't go back, not now. I love my new family, I love who I've become, I love Rose, and I want to stay with them because they make me happy. And father, all I want to be is happy."
Kovu stared, silent yet fuming. He couldn't lose his daughter. Not to a human female. He shook his mane quickly and tried to plead with her.
"But, Arina, the Great Kings…"
"…Have given her their full permission."
All present, save Arina, fell into a bow and trembled. Mohatu's voice was deeper than Mufasa's and much more intimidating. The spirit of the greatest king of them all with the brightest star stood squarely behind Arina. Flanking his left was Ahadi, a lion who looked very similar to Mufasa on Mohatu's right, save a more sinewy body. And next to his father stood Simba, his proud gaze piercing into the Goddesses as he stood with the Great Kings and his granddaughter.
Mohatu's eyes gazed at all the assembled, his deep voice rumbling out again though his mouth didn't move.
"You have lost your way, King Kovu. You have failed to follow the traditions of our Pride and as such have placed it in more danger than any young cub could bring. By chasing Maten away and murdering Vitani in cold blood, you have brought your end upon yourself."
Kovu didn't say anything but closed his eyes, fearing the Great King's words to be true. Simba spoke now, addressing the Council. The Goddesses felt as if he was getting retribution for their treatment of him.
"You have also lost your way, Council. You let the past blind you and drive your decisions home. You wrongly accused innocents of crimes they had no part in. The Princess Arina has nothing to return to at Pride Rock, only pain and suffering. While the Council should seek to send her back to the claws of Maten, the Great Kings will not allow their daughter to face such a hard life. Arina will return to the humans."
Kovu stared at Simba, shocked at his words.
"But what of your Pride?"
Mohatu roared out, pointing an accusatory claw at Kovu.
"It is your pride now, King! You have brought foundations endless generations strong down in mere months. You will find a way to rebuild it, Kovu. Do not turn to us for guidance – We have already tried, and you no longer listen." A sneer came to his face. "You no longer listen, just as Scar never listened."
Kovu cried out, not a roar but a weak cry, as Mohatu inflicted more pain upon him than any tooth or claw. To become the very thing Zira had wanted him to become pained him more than his exile from Pride Rock. He collapsed to the ground and jerked his head, screaming with defiance.
"I am not Scar!"
"Look at yourself! You have succumbed to madness, just as he did! You have become a Scar yourself, Kovu. Taka followed the same path to darkness, and you had the chance to turn from it – every creature does. You did, Kovu. When you stopped the war, when Arina was a cub, you were good. But you have now traveled down the same path Scar did. The Council is partially to blame for this, but they will not take the blame that is yours as well."
Kovu sobbed brokenly and Kiara went quickly to his side, lying next to him and nuzzling her nose into his neck. Arina didn't move, not knowing where to go. The Great Kings had given her permission to leave, but what of her father?
No daughter of the Great Kings would turn her back on the Pride in their time of need… Never before has it happened. He stopped crying slowly and opened his eye as a realization stuck him. No daughter of his would turn their back on the Pride.
He sat up slowly, staring at Arina. The look in his eyes pained her and she stepped forwards, but he flinched away. The words he breathed into the silence scarred her heart forever after that day and sealed his fate in the eyes of the Great Kings.
"I have no daughter."
Kovu turned his back on them all and walked into the mists of the forest, vanishing into them. The Goddesses also vanished, fearing the times ahead of them. They knew the Great Kings would do something to their Council, for this wasn't the first time they had led the Pride astray. But this time may be unforgivable in the eyes of the Great Kings.
When Kiara could move again she tried to go to Arina, but the lioness turned her head away and shook it slowly, choking out "Da… Kovu needs you, mom."
Kiara froze, staring at her broken daughter and the spirits of the Great Kings. The events of the last few minutes had stunned her – in so many words the Great Kings had predicted their doom. She realized that this was the last time she would see her daughter and her father, and the first and final time seeing her ancestors. She studied them all closely and managed a small smile, seeing the similarities.
In all of them.
Without another word but with a small bow Kiara turned to follow her mad king. Following him to certain death, perhaps, but her love for the Kovu she found under the starry sky so long ago still held her. He was still there, but he was overcome.
Arina tried to run after her, but the forest sank into blackness. All she could do was watch as everything became dark. A pain swept over her, something that made her cry out, buckle over and curl up. A voice beckoned her towards consciousness, but whose is was she couldn't tell. All she could see was…
The sun sank slowly into the west, but not before it gave a wonderful light display. Pink, purple, orange, red, blue, black – bars of all the colors glowed with the final rays of sunshine and some of the stars of the Great Kings could be seen twinkling into existence. Mohatu's star was already glowing warmly over the Pride Lands. In the plains, Kovu and Kiara watched as Maten and Arina rushed wildly around chasing butterflies, the waving grass, and themselves. Their laughter even brought a smile to Vitani's face as she watched them play.
They same to a wide hill and crested it slowly. The King of the Pride Lands flopped down at the very top, his silky black mane becoming the Queen's pillow. Arina and Maten rushed up behind them, laughing and wrestling each other. The two smiled and watched them, feeling Vitani come up behind them and sit down.
Maten looked up from under Arina into Kovu's soft gaze and smiled, wriggling out from under his friend. He walked up to them both, standing on hid hind legs and resting his paws on Kovu's cheeks. He looked curious now, not playful.
"We're a family, right?"
Kovu laughed quietly and nodded, knocking the small cub to the ground. Vitani came around and lay down on Kovu's other side, nuzzling Maten's small body carefully. Arina curled up between Kiara and Kovu.
"Was that a yes, father?"
"Yes, my little jewel. We are a family, and we always will be one." He licked her then smiled to Kiara and Vitani, who in turn looked down at her son. He stared up at her then smiled wide. Kovu looked back down to Arina.
"I promise."