~Chapter 3~
The old, wise mandril Rafiki watched nervously as Kiara stealthily ran her way back home to Pride Rock. He didn't see the cubs together this time, but Rafiki knew that at this hour, there was no other reason for the young lioness to be out near the border of the Outlands. His ears perked up at the sounds he heard whistling in the wind. He closed his eyes hearing the voice of his former king Mufasa.
"Be still, my friend." The voice told him.
"How can I?" Rafiki replied, "A bond between those two cubs are forming. I'm worried for Kiara. She is young and stubborn often pushing her boundaries."
"Gives ample opportunities to grow and mature even for a young cub." The voice said.
"I don't like this, I should inform Simba and Nala."
"Please my friend, let it be. I believe that in the long run, all will be well."
"I trust you and I hope you're right."
Kiara slumped up the large rocks leading up the path toward the den of Pride Rock. Her parents were eagerly awaiting her arrival. Her tail hung low as she feared that she had been caught.
"Hi Mom…" She gulped, "Hi dad, why you waiting up for me?"
"Your mom and I were waiting for you after we brought home dinner...it's in the den." Simba replied.
"Oh well, great!" Kiara's ears perked up realizing maybe she hadn't been caught after all.
As she began to make her way into the den casually, Simba stopped her by stepping right in front of her.
"Daddy, what gives?" Kiara complained.
"Kiara, please tell me you've stayed on the path that I marked…" Simba scolded.
"I do, daddy." Her ears lowered, it was always her tell. She knew she wasn't good at lying. "Most of the time." She smiled nonchalantly.
"Kiara, we have these rules for a reason…" Simba said stroking her head with his.
"I know that, but daddy, there's a whole big world outside of Pride Rock. I deserve to see it and those animals in that world. Our kingdom is huge and I don't get to see any of it hardly ever because I'm restricted to your path."
Kiara tried to play herself off like a victim of unfair parenting hoping to distract her parents and in the long run ultimately it worked to her advantage.
"She's just like her father…" Nala said nudging Simba with her head, "Always curious, always ready for adventure."
"Can my next adventure be dinner?" Kiara begged, "I'm starved."
"Go on." Nala urged.
"But this conversation isn't over." Simba added.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Kiara ran inside the den with her parents to eat their meal.
Kiara ate too fast giving herself some annoying hiccups that lasted a few minutes too long for Kiara's patience.
"Why does this always happen to me?" Kiara complained.
Simba and Nala couldn't help but laugh.
"You ate too fast, Kiara." Nala reminded, "Take a few breaths and soon they'll go away."
Kiara laid down annoyed putting her head between her paws as her hiccups continued to her complete annoyance. Simba walked over next to her.
"Listen Kiara, about earlier. Leaving the path is unacceptable…" Simba began to say.
Of course unknown to Simba, he didn't know exactly how far his daughter had strayed from the path. Kiara knew that she would be grounded to the den until her first grown up hunt or even later. She would deal with whatever punishment her parents dished out her way, but as long as she still had her friend Kovu on the other side of the border, that made it all worth it.
"We have these rules for a reason. I don't make them lightly."
Kiara noticed a lack of anger in her father's eyes. In fact, she thought he seemed sad about something. Simba glanced over at Nala who nodded simply and walked over next to him.
"What's going on?" Kiara asked curiously.
"I made the path after our first born cub, Kopa was born. Just a short time before you, Kiara."
The young cub looked at her parents stunned.
"You're telling me I had a big brother? Well, where is he? He must not live at Pride Rock because I've never met him and…"
Nala frowned nuzzling her curious daughters head.
"I'm sorry, Kiara, but your brother Kopa is with your grandfather Mufasa," Nala explained calmly.
Kiara darted glanced between her parents in disbelief then looked up through the small opening peeking out from the roof of their den. It was twilight and the stars were not out yet. Kiara knew what her mother meant and her ears fell.
"I-I'm sorry." Kiara muttered, "What happened to him?"
"It was Zira…" Simba began to say.
"Simba…" Nala scolded, "There was no proof of that."
"Zira hurt my brother?" Kiara muttered.
Kiara had met Zira briefly one time after she first met Kovu and they ran into that vicious leopard. Both their parents showed up to save them. Kiara would never forget the toothy grin that Zira displayed that day. A lioness with dark fur, bright eyes, and a damaged ear that looked like something took a chunk out of it. Kovu's mother really harmed her brother?
"Kiara…" Nala continued, "All we know is that Kopa strayed from the path and we found him after chasing off some hyenas. He was already lost by the time we got to him."
Kiara turned toward her father placing her paw on top of his with her ears drooped.
"Is that why Zira and the Outsiders were banished?" She asked curiously.
"A big reason yes, but they also were loyal to your great uncle Scar. They couldn't be trusted, so I did what I thought was best at the time."
"It was a difficult decision, Kiara." Nala added, "Your father didn't make it lightly."
"I understand." She nodded, "Though I feel bad for other cubs who are with the Outsiders...I wonder if they are happy."
Simba and Nala exchanged looks as Simba bent down close to his daughter looking at her curiously.
"You don't have to worry about them. They aren't your responsibility."
"Okay, you two, enough with the heavy. Let's move on to some good news." Nala said getting between Simba and Kiara laying down stretching her back as she laid on her side. "Kiara, what if I told you that you get to be a big sister?"
Kiara squealed in excitement.
"I wanna be a big sister! When? When?" She exclaimed.
"Any day now," Simba replied.
"That's what Rafiki says, but he's been wrong before." Nala laughed.
"Rafiki, wrong?" Kiara said in disbelief, "Never happens."
"Come here." Nala beckoned her daughter having her lay beside her mom's belly, "Place your paw, right here."
Kiara did so grinning wide as she felt the movements inside her mother's stomach.
"And here I was worried that you ate too much, mom." Kiara laughed nudging Nala as she licked her daughter's head.
"Kiara, with a new cub on the way at any time, I want you close to home," Simba replied.
Kiara's ears drooped.
"Is this my punishment?" She asked.
"No, we just figure you don't want to miss your sibling making their entrance to the world," Simba smirked.
"Can't wait." Kiara smiled.
The young cub was a mix of emotions at this moment. Between learning about an older brother she never met and one about to be born, it was hard to process all these mixed feelings. Though one thing she wanted to know was if Kovu ever heard of Kopa spoken among the Outsiders.
Less than a day later, Nala had delivered a male cub who she and Simba named Kion. The newest cub to the family was given a grand presentation to all the other animals of the Pride Lands. Rafiki gave the blessing to Simba and Nala's newest addition with the traditional mark across the cubs forehead before taking the cub and raising it high for all the animals to see. Kiara was ecstatic to have a little brother and who knows, as they grew up, maybe she could introduce Kion to her friend Kovu. She wondered if there would be a moment in time where things might be different between the Pride Lands and the Outlands.
AN: Hello again readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Kion has officially made his entrance. :) And on a side note, I know Kopa isn't technically canon (by the movie standard anyway), but I thought it made sense as to being a big reason Zira and the Outsiders were banished.
I just wanted to share that I'm working on a few stories right now, so as it stands, this story will get updated at least once a week. I still hope to hear from all you awesome readers. Please continue to R&R and I'll have another chapter up soon. Until next time, you readers rock! :D