The Lion King: Rise of the White Pride

Chapter 5: Visiting the Barren Land

Later evening, Kiara woke up, only she and her cubs were in the den. But a few seconds then, Kovu, Simba, and Nala came in. Kiara yawned loudly that the roar she caused echoed in the den nearly waking up the cubs. Kovu breathed in surprise.

Nala raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure I've heard that before," she peered at Simba.

"What?" It runs in the family," he defended himself.

"How is she?" Nala asked Kiara.

Kiara looked at her daughter. "She's fine. She'll live."

"You sure Rafiki shouldn't check her right now one more time?" Simba gazed at his grandchildren.

Nala rolled her eyes. "For the twentieth time, Simba, no. Kasi's fine. Rafiki will visit her tomorrow to check," Nala said it like she spent her whole life saying it.

Kovu spoke after a brief pause. "Kiara I've to go somewhere today . . .,"

Kiara cut him off. "I'm coming with you," she said while trying to get up.

Kovu held her down by the shoulder with his paw. "No, Kiara. You stay here and watch the cubs. This is . . . personal," he nuzzled his mate. Kiara purred while at it. "Don't worry. Vitani's with me," with that he walked off.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked her parents about Kovu's unusual behavior.

"He's going back to the Outlands to . . . uh . . .," Simba trailed off.

"Memorial for his family," Nala continued.

"Oh," he raised her head. "Never saw him that down before," she commented.

Nala lay down beside her daughter. "Everyone has their own pain of the past," she said while playing her paws above her grandchildren.

"Not to mention him," Simba choked the last word.

Kiara raised her eyebrow at Simba. "Him who?"

"Never mind. Oh and . . . you'll be in charge for the duration of Kovu's journey. You can do that, right?"

"Sure," though her tone was uneasy.

"Don't worry. We're right on your side," Nala comforted her.

Meanwhile, Kovu met up with Vitani on the base of Pride Rock. Several lionesses with their cub bowed in salutation to their king. Kovu gave a simple nod in response.

It was a beautiful sunset where the orange sky started to darken as the sun disappeared from the horizon. The herds were dispersing and found themselves a place to rest. Some stars had already appeared while the moon already in the sky.

Vitani nudged her brother. "Let's go," she said before sprinting away. Kovu followed close behind.

They ran past the grassland of the savannah, walked past the herds, swam across the river, navigated through the swamp, and stopped in front of a termite mound.

The sun had already gone from the horizon, but its light still illuminated some of the darkening sky. They walked around and came in through a crevice on the side of the mound. Inside it was big and somewhat spacy. Numerous tunnels widen the already large interior. Broken earth made some light came trough. They looked around nostalgically.

In the center of the interior, Kovu found a lone tree stump in which he realized that it was his bed years ago when he was a cub. Vitani noted a large hole on the ceiling that her mother made when she sang her vicious ambitions. The siblings remembered when they lived here. Where food were scarce, little water, and termite-infested. The Outsiders' life back then simply wasn't good. Some even died out of hunger and out of sanity.

The skylight was gone so they tried to get out. They walked through several tunnels until they came out emerging into an opening. The jet black sky was decorated with blinking stars. No cloud that time so the moonlight shone upon the wasteland unobstructed. They glanced to the sky leaned to a tree, soothing wind blew on their face.

"I wonder if she's up there," Kovu said.

Vitani looked to her brother and asked, "Who?"

"Mother. And Nuka," he replied.

Vitani didn't answer. She's silenced by the words. She missed them, especially Nuka. Though rude, he's still their brother. And though so devilish, she's still their mother. She wished she could reverse time and brought everyone together harmlessly. Heh. Vitani never had this soft before. Maybe living with Pride Landers gave her more compassion to others. They spent the night stargazing until they fell asleep.

The next morning came and the first ray of light knocked Vitani's eyes wide open. She briefly saw a familiar ethereal paw was about to land on her along with a laugh when she realized there was nothing. Just the air she tried to convince herself. She nudged Kovu awake and a flash ran through her head as she felt a deja vu. But she shrugged it off and walked home with a still drowsy Kovu.

It wasn't a good morning start so it took until the sun was right above them to reach Pride Rock.

"Kovu!" a joyful Kiara jumped on Kovu and nuzzled him when he was on his back. "Welcome home!"

"I'm home," he smiled while trying to get up.

Simba and Nala appeared behind the pride. "How's your visit?" Nala asked.

"It was great," Kovu replied. "Brought good and bad memories back," he joked.

Nala threw a smile at Kovu. "Oh. Look who's missing you," she said while glancing at the stone steppes.

Kovu turned his sight to see who it was. It was Kiburi and Kasi, both mewing at their father. Kiburi already learned to stand though he fell shortly after. Kasi on the other paw, still laying on the steppes with her eyes wandering all around before stopping at her father. Not wasting any time, Kovu came to his cubs and hugged them gently, joined by Kiara shortly after. Vitani couldn't help but smile at the family reunion, though something still troubling her. Some pride members went to Vitani's side and talked with her. The conversation didn't last long and she went to the river dispirited and took a drink.

Simba noticed her unusual behavior and approached her. "Vitani."

Vitani gagged when she heard Simba, sprouting the water in her mouth. "Huh? Oh, hi, Simba. Anything wrong?"

"That's my line," Simba retaliated. "Looks like something is bothering you, what is it?"

Vitani rolled her eyes. "Hey, it's not me if I'm bothered," she said normally. "I'm fine," she added.

Simba chuckled. "Okay then. Come back to the den. You should eat," he said before turning away to the Pride Rock.

"I will."

Kovu was with Kiara, talking, before laid down and drifted to sleep while Vitani was still in distraught by the weird things she saw in the morning. Such thoughts wouldn't help anything though, so she shrugged it off and went to sleep after eating a prey Chumvi and Tojo caught for her and Kovu.

Simba was still outside with Nala. "I wonder how things would turn out in the future," he said, gazing to the savannah.

"We can only see," Nala answered, purred against Simba's neck.

And so the royal visit to the Outlands (and some reminder of Simba's Pride) ends. R&R anyone?