AN:
TMNTTLK lover – it seems that both sides are suspicious of one another now. But who's going to profit from this knowledge? Perhaps the snakes themselves? In the show, they seem to have their own agenda, although usually choosing to work with the dark side. A game of manipulation has begun. The question is, who is manipulating whom.
Hvedrungsson – you're doing splendid detective work, actually. Keep it up, and you might just find the logic behind all this mess. But no spoilers from me. See you soon!
Willian – haha, you're not boring me at all. I just hope your reviews are a sign that I'm not boring you! With regard to Scar and Zira, I personally believe that redemption is possible for them. It would just have to follow some radical event (vide my other stories). Same with Kion- if he was put under enough strain, he could become corrupt. Just that doing that easily would be too cliché. Trust me, things aren't as simple as they might seem here. Your observations are very valid. I won't tell you which ones are correct, but I will say this- Kion will definitely not die as a villain. What you make of that, is up to you.
Jzak98 – poor little Kion… what did he get himself into? ;(
Chapter 8 – The Quarrel
Imara was a handsome lioness. Though she held the honorable position of strongest in Vitani's Lion Guard, her musculature, though impressive, did not make her look bulky or too angular for a young female. On the contrary, her strength only added to her charm, and was visible not only in Imara's physique, but also in her relentless will. She possessed the soul of a fighter, hidden behind the veil of azure eyes and a pretty face.
Kion admired those traits of hers, as well as other ones that caught his eye. The tan color of her fur and the spots on it were unique features, distinct from any lioness from both the Pridelands and the Night Pride, and marked her out as a former Outsider. That could also be said of Imara's unquenchable zeal, a passion she exhibited both in fulfilling her duties as a guardian, and her especially fervent devotion for him. From the first day he arrived in the Pridelands, Imara spent as much time in his company as she possibly could, aiding him in taking his mind off the recent stressful events, as well as longing for the newly-acquired kingdom which he had to leave behind.
She now stood before him proudly, exhibiting pure joy, content of having been able to finally serve the one whom she admired so much.
-Did I do well? – the young guardian inquired, smiling, puffing up her chest like a huntress after a successful hunt.
Kion continued to look away, however, wrinkling his brow in meditation. He still didn't know what Imara's recent discovery meant for him, and though he was grateful to the lioness, he knew that much more still needed to be done.
-Yes, you did well, Imara – he began, sounding rather perplexed - but watch out for Vitani. She might grow suspicious. What if she doesn't find you with the rest of your Guard? You better get back to them as soon as possible.
Imara did not cease to show the same grin she usually exhibited in his presence, however.
-Me and the girls all separated earlier. We're supposed to be looking for Simba.
She then began to stretch and swing her tail, looking at him in the way he knew so well by now.
-Wanna wrestle? – came the unavoidable question. Kion forced himself not to roll his eyes.
-No – said the lion with irritation. – This is not the time for that. Something suspicious is happening, I feel it. We need to stop meeting as often, at least till the situation is resolved. Don't worry, I'm working on it.
Imara's ears drooped when he said that, but then she immediately had another idea.
-Is there anything else I can do for you? Just tell me, I can help you with anything! Honest!
She looked like an excited juvenile, which caused Kion to sigh.
-Stay put for now, Imara. Okay? Go find Vitani, and try to keep an eye on her. I'll talk to Kovu when I get the chance. Just make sure to be careful!
Having received her new instructions, the lioness waved her head energetically.
-You've got it, Kion! I'm on my way! Hope to see you again… soon.
-Yeah, for sure – he responded absentmindedly, his thoughts not allowing him to focus.
Hmm, not good, not good – the lion said to himself. – I must take action soon, we've waited long enough. Good thing I know for sure that at least Imara is on my side!
Kovu was tired, worried, and had trouble thinking straight. All the things revealed to him and his sister by Scar and Zira put him in a perpetual state of worry. There were so many uncertainties. Kion alone would not have been a big problem. But how many allies had the king of the Night Pride been able to find in his own kingdom? Was Pride Rock really surrounded by enemies?
That was one possibility. The other, which though not as plausible as it seemed to him in the beginning, was that Scar was still hiding the full truth from him. Kovu tried to think of a way he could know for sure, but as of yet, he had failed in that task.
The only thing he was sure of was that he had to defend the kingdom at all cost, and that especially concerned his pregnant wife. Too much time had he spent away from her, sifting through the sands of the Pridelands and inhaling the fumes of the volcano. He had left her in the care of her brother, but now he felt more and more that this was a mistake. Carrying Kion's prey in his mouth, he made his way to Pride Rock.
Kiara was there, as always, looking tired and drowsy. He stood before her for a while, holding the dead antelope without a word, watching his mate. He rested his eyes on her belly, which had gotten significantly bigger, and looked for any movement under the tight skin. Kovu wondered how many cubs she would give birth to. And if he would be able to keep them all safe.
No, of course he would keep them safe! It couldn't be otherwise.
Kiara lifted her head slowly, apparently waking up from a nap.
-Hmm… Kion? – she moaned, unable to recognize who was standing before her.
Kovu winced, thinking that Kiara would ever mistaken him for her brother.
-No, it's me – he said after stepping out of the shade, and putting the food on the ground. – I brought you something to eat.
The half-asleep queen blinked.
-Kovu! – she exclaimed with joy, though sounding a bit fatigued. – I thought you were… out in the savanna…
-I was, but now I'm here with you.
The couple shared an embrace, and Kiara began her meal. Kovu had an impression that she did all that very phlegmatically, as if some burden was weighing her down.
-Are you all right, Kiara? – the lion finally asked with concern after his mate swallowed the only few tiny bites she was able to ingest at the moment.
The lioness lifted her dimmed, blooded eyes at him, and forced a smile.
-I'm fine… just tired. You know, the cubs… they take my energy away. I'll be fine. Where's… where's Kion?
Kovu was really not in the mood to talk about him right now.
-I sent him away for now. He's been acting… weird.
-Kovu, I already told you. He's… - she yawned. – He's lost his parents. Just like me. We were always trying to show to one another how tough we were… I guess all that trying has tired him out.
The lion listened, but kept his own thoughts to himself. Seeing that he didn't respond, Kiara stretched herself out, more comfortably distributing her extra weight on the flood of the lair. She looked like she was about to fall asleep again.
-You know – the lioness mumbled drowsily. – No one has seen Rafiki in weeks. He should be… back by now. I wonder where… he is? Maybe he could help you… in your search…
But her head was already resting on the ground, and she began breathing evenly, stolen away by her dreams. Kovu continued to stand guard, watching her until midnight, promising to himself that he would do everything to keep her and their cubs safe. Even if that would require him to shed blood.
In the morning, Kovu did not go out for his usual patrol. Looking for Simba didn't seem to be an issue anymore. Instead, he once more made sure that Vitani kept a close eye both on Kiara and her guardians. Then, he set out in search of Kion.
The animals did not know where he was, and Kovu was beginning to lose his patience. They addressed him so differently with than they did with Simba's beloved son… Kion was their hero, compared to whom he was but a nasty runt who wasn't worthy to carry the title of king. Kovu resented their hidden disrespect. When he ordered them to obey, they refused to listen. It looked like the whole kingdom was already on Kion's side… Was the damage he had done irreversible?
He lost his temper talking to a bunch of buzzards, and scared them away. Seeing their silhouettes disappearing on the horizon, Kovu waited for his nerves to ease, wishing that all of this could finally be over. His ears, though hot, then picked up a sound in the distance. A faint, almost inaudible rustle… It reminded him of the hunting lessons he once gave to Kiara.
Of course. He spent so much time relying on the power of the Roar that he never learned how to properly stalk his prey.
With a snort of disdain, Kovu rose and took a few steps toward the nearby bushes, as if completely innocently. Then, all of a sudden, with a powerful roar, he vaulted over the thicket, landing straight in front of the red-head lion who had been observing him.
The other male, taken by surprise, also bared his fangs. The two stood eye to eye, growling and sizing one another up, almost ready to pounce. No longer were they brothers-in-law, members of the same family. Now, they were strangers.
Kovu, exhibiting an intimidating stance taught to him once by his mother, gazed at Kion with disdain. The former leader of the Lion Guard was younger than him, and though he was among the fiercest lions Kovu had ever seen, he was still sure that he would be able to defeat him. Although from Kion's own reaction one might draw the speculation that he was pretty sure of his own victory as well.
The two kings eased, as questions needed to be answered. Kion was the one to speak first.
-What're you doing here? – his words were just as venomous as his look of disdain. – You were supposed to look for my father!
Kovu felt that Kion's audacity caused his blood to boil in his veins.
-What am I doing here?! It's you who's been stalking me! In my own kingdom!
-It seems like I have a very good reason, wouldn't you say? Since you've been lying to me!
Kovu charged in Kion's direction, snapping his jaws at him, forcing the other lion to take a step back.
-That's none of your business, Nightprider! – he growled. - Who told you about that, anyway? Are you trying to set my own subjects against me?
This time, Kion swung his paw at Kovu with fury, and the two stood apart again.
-Those are my father's subjects! And you're harming them by what you're doing! I've heard what they say about you! I'm beginning to doubt if you're fit to rule this land!
Kovu snorted.
-What, do you think you'd do a better job? You know, you remind me of someone. That sound exactly like something Scar would say!
Suddenly, the look in Kion's eyes changed. At first, it was filled with the highest level of shock, but then, his brown irises exploded with a flash of pure fire. And so did the scar on Kion's face. He now breathed with great hatred, ready to attack for real this time, and not simply showing off his fierceness to emphasize his superiority.
-How dare you… - Simba's son uttered, grinding his fangs.
Kovu was ready to repel his attack. That would provide him with unmistakable proof that his brother-in-law was a traitor. Still, Kion stood panting for a while, and then retracted his claws. For some reason, he looked like he lost the will to fight, and merely continued to fume with the anger of an insulted monarch.
-I don't know what you're talking about, Kovu! You're acting completely insane. I'm worried about this kingdom, and this is the only reason why I came here! I will do everything that's necessary to defend this land!
-This is not your land anymore! – Kovu bolted toward Kion, making him run away from the sudden assault.
-You've lost your mind! – the other king yelled back at him, speeding toward the distance. It looked like he wanted to avoid an unnecessary confrontation, but Kovu knew he was bluffing.
-Don't you dare get anywhere near Kiara! – he continued to roar. – If you even come close to Pride Rock, the lionesses will chase you away, no matter who you once were, or are now!
His threats were spoken in full seriousness, yet Kovu knew that Kion wouldn't listen. Things have simply gone too far. Now, there was just one thing that he could still do.
Kovu thought about that for a long time, and finally made his decision. That was why he did not return to Pride Rock after his argument with Kion, but simply ordered Vitani to watch Kiara as closely as possible. He first directed his steps toward the volcano, to reveal his plan to Scar. The dark specter was skeptical. He warned Kovu, telling him that he had precious little time, and that if he wasted too much of it, something terrible would happen. Scar was of the opinion that what he himself revealed to Kovu should be sufficient, and that his stepson would find nothing more on his own. But Kovu was determined. His decision was already made, and just one thought continued to haunt his mind.
I have to know for sure. And when I do… things are gonna get brutal.
AN: Thank you for your patience, everyone! I just finished my vacation in Maine, and was able to post this chapter. Sadly, can't promise when I'll publish the next one, as I will be on my way to Illinois soon. Keep your eyes peeled, though! ;)