Chapter 27 Ghosts

One Month Later…

Scar has been only been cold to anyone since Uzuri miscarried, Sarafina has put up a strong facade since Ni left and anyone who talked to her could tell, and everyday Uzuri walks alone to the Zuburi River and stares at the crocodiles that are sunning themselves.

"One step… One step is all that I need and the pain will stop." Uzuri lifted one of her paws and held it over the edge of the bank, "Can I do it?"

Uzuri could feel the spray from the rivers current on her pads. "It all hurts so much…" a small figure appears on the horizon. "Can I end this?"

Uzuri felt herself shift her weight forward on her front paw, "Hey!" a voice shrieked on the far bank. A small cub with black fur on his head and his ears, but he had a brown tuft on his tail. "Do you know where I am?"

Uzuri shook her head and put her paw back firmly on terra firma. "You are in the Pridelands young one?"

"Okay thank you." He said as he crossed the log connecting the Outlands and the Pridelands.

The cub continued past Uzuri not even giving her a second glance, "Who was that?"

Back with Sarabi and Sarafina…

"Sara you gotta move on... Ni left you."

"It may seem that way, but I know he is nearby he wouldn't leave unless he had a really good reason."

"Or he didn't want to be a father right now."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Sarafina snapped at Sarabi.

"Okay… Just calm down."

"Sorry, but I gotta go cool off." Sarafina said as she left.

"Ow!" Simba squeaked as Nala pinned him again.

"Nala, honey not so rough." Sarabi said.

"He started it." She complained. Simba readied himself to tackle Nala again and she just as easily pinned him again.

"Oww! Nala that hurts get off." Simba ordered.

"Who's that?" Maini asked. There was a small cub with black fur on his head and his ears, and he had brown fur on his tail.

"Haha, you're a brave little girl." The cub complimented Nala. "You didn't even stand a chance against her." He redirected back at Simba.

"Nala and I were only play fighting!" Simba retaliated.

"Nala! What a pretty name, would you like to play with me?" The cub asked.

"Slimeball." Simba coughed catching the cub's and Nala's attention, inciting a "really" kind of look from the both of them.

The cub suddenly stopped and tore off in a random direction, "Go away! That is not your food!"

Maini and her friend noticed that there were two hyenas off in the distance, and they chased them away, "We didn't even see them." Maini kept chasing them till the hyenas were well on their way to the Outlands. "Hey, who are you kid?"

The cub stopped and smiled, "My name is Malka."

Back with Mufasa…

"Go find the cub's family got it, Zazu." He quickly turned to Malka, "Why are you here kid?"

"My dad has been dealing with a rogue the past few days. So my Mom sent me here till the rogue is dealt with."

"Who are your parents?"

"Tanglemane of the Mountainlands." He said causing Sarabi's heart to stop.

Sarabi set her tail on Mufasa and gave him a look, "We gotta keep an eye on him, the Mountainlands are known for weird ways. He might even be scouting possible Queens." She said as she pointed at Nala who was redder than an apple.

"Simba, wouldn't be happy about that." Mufasa said. "Malka come with us."

"But why?" Simba complained.

"Because I said so."

"Dad quick question." Mufasa nodded, "What if Zazu doesn't find Malka's Pride?"

"Then he will stay with us forever." Simba stop like his paws were in quicksand.

"It will be like you have a brother, wouldn't that be wonderful Simba?" Sarabi added.

Back with Uzuri…

Uzuri was still staring into the river, still deciding if she wanted to go for one last swim. Uzuri saw a frog surface from under the water, "How is the water down there?" The frog continued to shoot a jet of freezing cold water right at Uzuri's birthmark, Uzuri felt angry but quickly shook it, "Cold huh."

Once again she lifted her paw above the current of the Zuburi, "What are you doing?" An old familiar voice rang in her head.

"Mom?" Uzuri quickly began to scan the horizon in search of her mother. "Mom, where are you!"

"Down here sweaty."

Uzuri's eyes quickly fell down to the water, and Pion was staring right back at her daughter. She looked to be half the age she was when she died, "Mom! It's you how…"

"Shush, baby now can you tell me what you are doing?"

"Ugh… I was, please don't be mad…"

"I am not mad I am disappointed."

"What?"

"Do you know how many times your father and I tried for a cub."

"No, I thou…"

"We tried for so long that I was well past my prime, when I had you it almost killed me." Pion's reflection began to ripple, "Now put your paw back down and keep your head at it." With that Pion's reflection vanished.

"Don't worry Mom has been a pain since I got there."

"Kiu!" Uzuri quickly turned to be meet with a partially translucent Kiu. "But why?"

"I missed you so I wanted to say hi."

Uzuri quickly threw a hook that swished right through him, "Why have you waited so long?!"

"You know how hard it is to talk to someone who isn't on the same plane of existence? Let me fill you in, it is like sitting in a blazing inferno, trying to breath frozen water, and speaking a language that you could only have heard in a dream."

"Stop complaining."

"I only answered your question, but I have seen your fate. It will get better if you allow yourself to live in the moment and not get lost in the past."

"Okay?"

"Uzuri, I love you… And I really like your new nickname, Z, its kinda fitting." Kiu's apparition started to fade.

"Wait don't go!" Uzuri shouted as she charged his fading figure only to trample something.

"What do you want?" A lioness squealed from underneath Uzuri.

"Oh…" She let the lioness up, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"It's fine, glad to see you are actually alive up there."

"Excuse me?"

"You were like a vegetable back there."

Uzuri blushed a little bit, "So what was your question again?"

"Have you seen my son, Malka?"

"Small guy with black tufts on his ears?"

"Yeah, he came through this way. May I ask you what your name is?"

"My name is Tajiri."

"Why are you here Tajiri?"

"My husband sent me here to pick up our son, that troublesome rogue Ni has been dealt with."

"Wait what happened to Ni?!"

"My husband beat him, do you know him?"

Uzuri though for a moment, "He is a friend of a friend, but if I were you I wouldn't mention Ni to anyone in this pride."

AN: Hello guys and girls welcome back for another chapter of Zira's Pain, we just saw Pion and Kiu once again. We met Malka and his mom, and Uzuri was going through some tough times. Let me know what you like or dislike in my story, please review and I may just get another chapter up before Thanksgiving.