I.
Vitani walked along the outside of her thinning kingdom escorted by two lionesses.Animals complained or defended their leaders to one another,as mothers tried tending to their young ones' needs.
Fourteen days of travelling and thirteen nights of resting since Tu had come to rule had gone by.Though some had decided to stay behind at a certain spot and a few perished,most were surviving.
That's what Tu said.He kept them going with speechs and words of how great the Inlands were,he kept their loyality by avoiding hunting within the kingdom and killing those outside the kingdom.
When they came across a marsh land,they would attack crains or crocodiles.When they reached open plains their was usually other herds readily available for the migrating carnivores and more then enough vegetation for the herbivores;their were more prides too.
But Tu convinced most of them of the Inland's riches,as the other lion king of the area initially rejected any conjoining of kingdoms to a short or long extent.Vitani sighed in reflection upon reaching Tu.
"There he is."One of the eldest lionesses,Sarafina,told her.
"Is this far enough,Vitani?"Dotty,a former Outlander,inquired.
"Go on."She nodded vaguely over her shoulder and approached the lion king from behind as he sat on a tall rock over-looking the next marshland in their travels,he had yet to send them forward.
"You don't trust me,do you?"
His words made her stop."What?"
"My direction,my knowledge,my instinct...you doubt.Am I right?"
"Tu..."
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Prove it!"he whirled on her with surprising abruptness."Now."
"How?"Vitani felt her stomach and front legs becoming warm.
"Look me in the eye and tell me it."
She stared hard into his determinded brown eyes."I trust you."
"Good."The lion said to himself and then softened."That's good."
"Some doubt you.It's natural.But why are you suspicious of me?"
The note of hurt was barely covered up in her voice,but when he met her eyes again there was hardly even evidence he'd noticed.
"It isn't so much you or our kingdom."Tu explained slowly,his eyes narrowing."Can you think of any particular person,dear?Anyone?"
"Don't taunt me like that."she warned,but turned when he moved his steady gaze beyond her only to see her brother there."Kovu?"
"I spoke with the lionesses."
"You did?"The king said amusedly."And what did they say back?"
"They can take on the cubs."Kovu told his sister expressionlessly.
Tu growled at his defiance before turning to his queen."Who?"
"I was just about to tell you,it's-"Vitani started to say.
"You're looking at her,King Tu."Her brother interjected."I suppose I'm going to be an uncle.It'll be good to see my niece or nephew being brought up in such a spectular place as the mystic Inlands."
With assumed indifference,Kovu left the two.
She saw him turn away from her eye's corner."You told him before me."he stated in disappointment."It's hard for me to believe,dear."
"I told the lionesses,he was there so he overheard."
"Now I have a real reason to be worried."Tu stared out into the new spread of swampy terrain."If anything happened to us,Kovu would take the throne.But now that your pregnant it's perilous."
"You're forgetting,"Vitani stepped forward to defend the lion."Kovu is the one who gave us our titles,why would he want his back Tu?"
"It's reasonable to say that his mate is gone for good,but what if he finds another mate?What if he turns out be exactly like Scar?"
As that one name sent a chill down her spine,she watched as her shy,canjoling king moved foward with deadly silent brown eyes,a voiceless vow of sorts burning beneath their mud-colored depths.
"He's my brother,"Vitani found her voice."He's rough around the edges,but he would never harm our cubs.You need to trust him."
Tu laughed at the thought."I trust you,dear.Not him."
"I trust him."
The lion bared his teeth slightly."Who's side are you on,Vitani?"
She almost asked him the same thing,but held her tongue."Ours."
"We'll see about that."Tu said gruffly as he passed her.
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing,I'm not saying anything."he stood erected,in a dignifed fashion that had taken time to develop."A bit of advice.When the time comes to show true loyalty,I really hope you choose wisely."
Vitani watched as he left her in order to move the kingdom along and secretly wished the same thing for herself.She was either to be a queen of her new kingdom or a fool for ever trusting the lion with the silver tongue.The time was approaching,she could feel it.
x.x.x
"All right,"Kopa started again as they crossed the twenty-fourth marsh in the last two weeks;counted by Kiara herself."What is big, filled with water ususally and carries it's young around unusually?"
The lioness glared at him from over her shoulder.
"Any guesses?"He pressed on,undeterred.
"You've been coming up with these pointless games for days."
"Great way to pass the time,"Kopa laughed as he scaled quickly up the log his sister was on,so he was looking down at her."Go for it."
Kiara cocked her head to the side exaggeratingly."Um...a hippo?"
"Nope,a crock.See,they normally carry their kids in their mouths."
"Wow,"She gave an uneasy smile."That's really something to think about."her ears suddenly swerved in front."I hear buffalo nearby."
"Perfect timing,I could use some lunch right about now."
The two kept hopping from tree,to rock,to land rise as the sight of a huge plain filled with herds came within view.Kiara felt herself at one with all the climbing now;she could acutally do it pretty quietly.
"Almost there,but we need-"her front paw without warning lost all it's support as the branch she stood on gave way."Whoaa-aahh!"
"Kiara!"
She felt the hard branches crunch painfully against her back as she went free-falling,before finally clasping her arms around the middle of the tree.The buffalo heard her and fled as she hugged the trunk.
There was suddenly a familiar guttural groan from below her,Kiara felt her heart slip up into her throat as she caught the sight below of a giant crocodile's long body S-sliding toward her in the bayous.
"Holy buffalo..."She whispered frightfully.
"Hang on,I'm coming for you."Kopa informed her from the tree next to hers.The lion slowly made his way out on the longest branch,his paws clawlessly squeezing the wooden arm;it began to lower now.
"Your weight!"Kiara called to him."It'll make the branch snap."
He crouched down as if he willed it to begin breaking and lunged to the spot she was at.The loose-rooted tree rocked dangerously as Kopa nodded down below him,indicating her to move to that side.
"Are you mad?!"she yelled."I'll die trying."
The hungry rumble of the lizard's groan made Kiara reach her right claw around to the other side.Slowly,frustratingly,the lioness had to edge herself along the trunk,her slightly swollen stomach region scraping against the dry bark as she finally groped to Kopa's side.
"Hold on and push."he said in a strained voice as the tree began to thrust forward under his great heave."Use all of you strength."
With a few papery snaps below them,the great truck the lion's had in their arms lurched all the way down.The crocodile gave a big wail of surprise as the tree and two very heavy cats landed on top of it.
Kiara panted and looked over at her quickly recovering brother with a breathless grin."You think big,"she said with a laugh."Really big."
He didn't grin back,instead a look of sheer terror filled his eyes as a capricious glance down at his foot revealed a hurling,brown stick of some sort with a mouth of clumped ivory closing over his hind paw.
Immediately,the lioness raced over and ripped the creature away.A stunned Kopa blinked a few times before hobbling to the shoreline.
"Kopa,"she rushed to his side as he dazedly examined the shallow bite marks."What was that thing?Are you all right?Can you move?"
"A snake,I don't know and everything but this leg."he told her as the place around the wounds began reddening,with a painful moan he got down in a lying position."I need to tell you something now."
"What is it I can do to help?"Kiara insisted.
"Listen,"Kopa explained with a reluctant sigh."Try to understand."
"Listen?Listen to what?"
"My past.I was waiting to tell you,but I think I need to now.You see I have a real reason for being out on my own.I'm ready to tell why."
Flashback...
Night time fell over the oasis as it always did,seeping through all of the trees and wrapping the merekat coloney in shadowy layers.The lion could feel this as he lay sprawled out in the tall,gold sand piles.
He had watched the sun fall past the desert he knew by heart,it was his second home and he felt he had explored a vast portion of it now that he was in his late teens.It was endless,like his dreams.
For great parts of the day he would play out here,imagining what it would be like in the pridelands and with his mother.But he knew his place was here,all he knew was here in the desert and his home in the oasis called appropriately Merekat Manor.Kopa belonged there.
Normally he returned home before dusk,but tonight he had felt the need to experience the seas of sand after daylight hours.It felt so incredibly cool and soft to him now,like a blanket of dampened silk.
"Kopa..."A distant voice called out to him.The lion paused as he was beginning to drift off to sleep,listened and then rolled onto his side.
"Kopa!"Came a chorus of hollering voices.
This startled him to his feet and he quickly rushed back toward the oasis,concerned that his adopted mother would be overly worried at his unusual absence.Faster he ran,until his legs almost gave out.
"Mom?"Kopa called as he reached it's edge,when no reply came he kept sprinting through the blackened greenary."Mom,where're you at?Uncle Max?Tyron?Simore?Flinchy?Sniffles?Stubby?Totu?Anyone?"
He looked around frantically into the empty area before heading in the direction of the waterfall,it's rushing spills of white froath were muted as per usual and a low,buzzing sound lingered above Kopa.
That noise,he thought,more alert now.I've never heard it before.
Suddenly,a large shadow leapt from a tall tuft of grass and pinned the young lion down roughly into the dirt.The animal atop him was breathing in a hard,yet controlled way as he whispered into his ear.
"You will tell them to dig."
Kopa felt his head driven downwards,his eyes were focused out on the wide-eyed merekats staring at the scene in terror.He made an attempt to fight the intruder,but the animal above him didn't budge.
"Don't try anything cute,"The male voice warned in a hiss."I will tell my friends from above to turn your little paradise upside down and your lead female merekat,or Mom as you put it,will become supper."
"No..."Kopa struggled,trying to work himself free."Let them go!"
"I have to move on,but my aerial army will be watching you as you command these merekats to dig.There needs to be a giant hole out by this oasis,not far from the entrance.Have it all done by morning."
With that,the pressure was removed from on top of him and the animal had moved on into the bushes.They were all trapped now.
End flashback...
x.x.x
The sun was falling in the present,with Kiara standing over Kopa in a state of worry and confusion.And yet,she was trying to grasp the words he spoke.But the bite marks were now becoming discolored.
"What happened?"She asked,her interest shifting with her fears.
"Anyone can guess the story from there,"he said dejectedly,looking off into the vacant plains."The merekats dug and I watched them all night.By the time they fell asleep,I got up and took off completely."
"You don't know what became of them?"
"I almost found out.After heading out for a few days on my own I'd come to the conclusion I was acting like a coward and decided upon going back.That's when I came upon you as I was returning home."
"Don't tell me you blame yourself."Kiara said ruefully."Because then I'll blame myself for being the one you ran into.Acutally,I do blame myself for a lot of things.One of them is running off from my duties."
"Running runs in our family,"Kopa joked mildly,clearly attempting to lighten the fact that he hurt in more then one way."I thought when I found you in the desert,I could redeem myself by helping you out.
I used you."he said in a resolute voice."I didn't try helping my family when they needed me and I abandoned them.I'm also responsible for our mother's death.Kiara,I had a chance to fight off that animal."
"Kopa,no."
His voice shook with restrained emotion."I had a chance to tell the merekats they didn't have to dig because I would protect them.I'm no better then whoever attacked us.I guess this had to happen..."
Kiara only stared at him in a deep,silent muse.
"I'm sorry,"Kopa rested his head to the ground."Please,just try to accept what happened the way I accepted how I was born.Please."
She suddenly placed her paw upon her brother's,much as he had done the day she lay upon the earth feeling useles and listless.The two locked eyes and Kiara made sure hers didn't waver even once.
"Say hello to our mother and talk to my father,he's more accepting now than he's ever been."her heart welled up."Kopa,we are one."
II.
Night was falling fast as the Pridelanders made their way out of the marshlands.Kovu was just getting his thoughts together as he was walking to the side of some antilope,when he saw a form out of the corner of his eye.It was the figure of a lion sitting over another lion.
He remembered seeing many prides and continued on with the rest of the animals,knowing they would rest soon enough anyway.From what Kovu saw,it was apparent the lioness wasn't leaving just yet.
In fact,she would probably stay that way until morning with the one that was lying still.The thought of unmoving lions made him shudder.
Kiara,please be safe.If I never see you again,so be it.Just be safe...
The burnt umber lion looked to a gleaming star in the navy blue sky.
Be happy.
To be continued...
A/N:Just so you know,Kovu knows Kiara didn't mean what she said before she left in the fifth chapter and Kiara thinks that Kovu is disgusted with her for running off on him.Basically,all our young lions and lionesses are still growing up somewhat.Esp. Kiara.There are many themes in this story,but you'll understand next chapter better in the culimination.I also have one more chapter after this.As for the fate of Kopa,well,I can't say for sure.I have a surprise I'll reveal to you,my loyal readers,next chapter.Thank you so much all the support.
LP