Chapter Thirteen: Taking the Call

Thunder clapped. Lightning flashed; and, within moments, the Pride Lands became drenched in a long delayed downpour. Emerging through the rain, Simba and his pride arrived home at last; many of them were tired and injured and looked forward to a long rest. Kovu smiled warmly at the sight of his home and shot towards the den.

"Kiara! Kiara!" he called.

Simba watched him go; he knew that his daughter must have been overwhelmed with anxiety since their departure and that the sight of her husband would surely cheer her up.

There was a long silence as Kovu entered the cave; the rest of the lionesses had already begun collapsing in whatever space they could find; enjoying the cold rain on their wounds. Suddenly, the still silence was shattered with the sound of a long groan coming from inside the den.

"Kovu!" yelled Simba. "Kovu, what's happening?"

In the blink of an eye, Simba and Nala raced into the den but what their eyes beheld, their mind could not believe. The den was completely deserted; there was no sign of Kiara anywhere; only the bloody corpse of a tiger lying in front of Kovu.

"What on earth –," began Simba; utterly shocked at what he was seeing.

"Simba, Kiara's gone!" cried Kovu.

"No…" whispered Nala; tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"All I found was this dead tiger," said Kovu; Simba noticed that his voice was trembling and his face seemed to have turned pale-white.

"W—where could she be?" asked Nala, wiping her tears with her paw.

All of a sudden, they heard the unmistakable sound of an animal coughing violently behind them.

"I – I know where she is…" exclaimed Shiba.

The three lions turned and saw the mangled body of the tiger that they had presumed dead, slowly open her eyes.

Kovu knelt down, so that he was level with the tiger; a furious look upon his face.

"Where's my wife?" he demanded, pushing his face close to the tiger's.

Simba and Nala also moved forwards; examining the interrogation.

"K – Khan kidnapped her," stammered Shiba. "I saw it."

"Damn it!" ejaculated Simba. "He came here while we were on our way!"

"Where did he take her?" shouted Nala; she had stopped crying and was now looking at the tiger vindictively.

"C –Crocodile peak," replied Shiba.

Kovu cast his gaze on to Simba.

"I'm going," he said shortly.

"Wait Kovu," said Simba. "We could be walking straight into a trap."

He turned to the tiger.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Sh – Shiba," she replied.

"That name…" muttered Simba. "Where have I heard it before?"

Then, as if like lightning, the reason he had recognized her name charged into him with the force of a rampaging rhinoceros.

Where is the one who killed my mother?

Shiba? I'm afraid she won't be joining us today.

The words echoed in Simba's head and he felt rage flame up in the furnace of his heart.

"You…" he growled; Kovu stepped out the way as Simba advanced towards her.

"You're the one who murdered my mother!"

Shiba closed her eyes and exhaled slowly; she seemed to be mentally in pain. There was silence for a moment until she opened her eyes once more and looked up at Simba's hateful face.

"I don't deny it," she said at last. "And I wish to ask your mercy for it."

"You must really be insane if you think that I could ever forgive you," declared Simba; he now raised his paw, revealing his sharp claws. "I'm glad you're still alive, so now I can have the pleasure of killing you myself."

"Please," moaned Shiba; she gasped and coughed, spurting blood on to the ground. "I ask your mercy because I saved your daughter."

Simba laughed sarcastically.

"Saved her? You said she's been kidnapped."

"Y – You don't understand," she cried; sounding desperate now. "Khan was going to kill her right here but I – I tried to stop him and he attacked me."

Hearing these words, Simba's face began to soften.

"If it wasn't for me, she would have been dead right now." Shiba coughed again. Kovu could see that she had lost over four pints of blood. "I beg of you! Please, forgive me."

Simba had not moved but remained where he was standing; his paw still raised; then, as if steeling himself up for something, lowered his arm.

"You're right," he said, looking into Shiba's eyes. "If it wasn't for you then Kiara would be dead and you – you risked your own life to save hers." Simba smiled slowly.

"I forgive you."

Shiba also smiled; a large smile full of joy.

"Heh…Khan said that we were forever out of your mercy; proves him wrong."

With her final words, Shiba closed her eyes as her life finally left her.

"What do we do now?" asked Nala, after Simba had turned away from Shiba's body.

"We go after her," he replied.

"We?" inquired Kovu; he approached Simba slowly; his face lit up.

"That's right Kovu. We. Kiara is your wife just as much as she is my daughter and it's your right to go and fight for her just as much as it is mine. I've learnt, after all we've been through together, that I can't keep holding you back. You're going to be king someday. Besides," he grinned at him. "I'm going to need you out there."

Kovu smiled and bowed his head.

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Please be careful. Both of you; and, please, bring her home," said Nala; she nuzzled her husband gently.

"We'll be back, Nala. Wait for us. This fight ends today," he declared. "At crocodile peak."

He rubbed heads with Nala one last time before heading out into the storm; with Kovu by his side.