Chapter 8:

Bitter Reunion

Edd, Shenzi, Banzai, and I watch on in awe. Enlil becomes discouraged at the sight not sure how to approach Simba. The Prideland animals slowly disperse, a hippo having issues trying to descend to the ground. The lionesses move out of the way of Kiara who walks up to her father wanting him to reconsider. Simba has other plans as he looks hard at her.

He speaks, "You and Mwezi will not go anywhere without an escort from now on."

Kiara tries to argue, "No, that's not-!" before Simba cuts her off, "Kovu used you to get to me!"

"No! He loves me...for me!" Kiara fights back pleading by this point.

"Because you are my daughter!" Simba growls, "You and Mwezi will not leave Pride Rock. You will stay where I can keep an eye on you two... away from them!"

I speak up barely pushing myself up, "I don't quite see where I come into this punishment..."

"Shh!" Shenzi warns, "Mwezi, keep quiet! You guys are already getting permanently grounded."

Banzai says, "Yeah. You might end up with an even worse end."

Kiara argues, "You don't know Kovu!"

Simba responds, "I know he's following in Scar's pawprints... and I must follow in my father's."

"You will never be Mufasa!" Kiara talks back.

That one statement strikes Simba as he looks at her silenced. Kiara rushes into the cavern sobbing. I cautiously get up and trot on in being followed by the Hyenas. The lionesses look on now concerned feeling bad for Kiara while I'm not sure how to really respond. Enlil looks over to Simba as if telling him he may have gone too far. Simba walks over to Enlil still stunned as the tiger cues him to follow. The two descend Pride Rock with Enlil taking the lead. I try to talk to Kiara, but she pays no mind, spotting some light shining through a hole. Edd whines as if saying not to do it, but she ends up pushing her way through the wall and running away. Concerned I look to Shenzi for an answer; she moves her head cueing me to go after my sister. Going against my better judgment, I climb through the hole quickly giving chase.

I follow Kiara through the Pridelands as she revisits all the familiar places; the spot where they looked up at the stars, even into a canyon where she eventually stopped and sat down, lowering her head in sadness. I sit next to her and rub up against her trying to bring comfort, but it doesn't seem to work. She does respond by petting me on the head.

Elsewhere in the Pridelands, Enlil is conversing with Simba on the matter, asking the lion why he exiled Kovu and Nuka and not him when he is an outsider in technical terms. Simba stops to sit on a soft patch of dirt while Enlil turns to face him. The tiger tilts his head in confusion trying to shoot the lion a questioning look. Simba looks back at him almost questioning his judgment and if the statement Kiara said earlier was true.

"Enlil, I did not exile you because you were brought here against your will. The Outlands are easily connected to the Pridelands by fallen trees, giving the Outsiders all the access they want should they be bold enough to cross over. Where you came from, you have no direct acess to this place." Simba replies.

"But still you place trust in me. King Simba, I could've easily fabricated the whole story of how I got to be in the crate. How can you tell I was not lying?"

"Your scent told me everything. Sometimes Timon and Pumbaa head out into the world beyond this, and there always seems to be new scents coming from them. Ragh, I'm more bothered about what Kiara said."

"...King Simba, you are not listening to your heart; you are unable to find the ability to reason because of it. Instead you are listening to the laws set in place, and in turn made an irrational decision without listening to their testimony. I simply ask to search your heart for the right answer."

"How can I? They planned the ambush."

"No, they did not. Nuka came to Mwezi and I and told us of Zira's plan. I can tell Kovu has fallen for Kiara enough to not want to follow through with Zira. He warned us, and we acted. You saw back there how Nuka and Kovu protected you alongside Mwezi and I. You've passed the wrong judgment."

"...What would my father do?"

"The same thing I'm doing; reasoning with you."

Night soon engulfs the Pridelands. I continue to follow Kiara through the lands, seeing other animals in love with each other. We eventually find ourselves at a tree where Kiara sees her reflection in the water... except there's only half of her there. Looking into the water I see my reflection and as of now it's a full reflection. She looks up into the starry sky seeing images of a rabbit and two lions fighting each other. Kiara then slumps down depressed, me following suit but without the depression. I suggest we should keep looking and without question she agrees.

Back at Pride Rock, Edd sits out at the edge watching and waiting for me to appear. Shenzi an Banzai call for him to come in only to receive a response of an ear turning to the sounds of their voices for a second. Both look at each other becoming woried about Edd as well as Kiara and I. They walk back into the cavern knowing it would be futile to get Edd to follow. Edd then gets an idea, rushing down from Pride Rock running away from it. He puts his nose to the ground finding our scent and starts to follow it. However, he loses the trail half way to our location becoming frantic within seconds. He looks around trying to be as alert to sounds as he possibly can.

As he races through the Pridelands thinking there's no way I'd leave even if I follow Kiara, he soon comes upon a river that borders the Outlands and the Pridelands. That's when he hears a loud growl coming from the other side. He becomes full of fear at the sight of seeing Zira and her pride crossing through the river. They look up seeing him as he watches in fear. Zira smiles evily at this showing her teeth while Vitani goes on the attack running at the hyena. Edd gets the message and goes to run away and return to Pride Rock, but Vitani effortlessly cuts him off. The other lionesses block him in, and he begins to lie flat on the ground whimpering. Zira makes her way around to face him.

She starts, "My, my, look who we have here. I know you're a friend to Mwezi. I've watched you hyenas closely; you practically raised her, didn't you?"

Edd can't speak, he can only think in response, "{You've been spying on us this whole time? Talk about pedophilia!}"

Vitani suggests, "You know, if we took him out, it would strike Mwezi right where it hurts. You said you already revieled to her she's an Outlander, right? Let's push her one more time and see what she does!"

"Hmm, I think you're onto something, Vitani. Telling her she's an Outlander won't be enough to hit her where it hurts. And now, this one already knows too much." Zira replies looking at Edd with plotting eyes.

"{Wait...are they? Oh no!}" Edd thinks before he forces himself to yell, "B-Baaanzaaaiii! Shhheeeeenzzziiiiii!"

"Shut him up, Vitani!" Zira commands.

Meanwhile in the desert filled mostly with ash, Kiara and I find ourselves unable to continue. She plants herself on a mound while I keep out a watchful eye. I see something move behind us quickly spotting Kovu and an excited Nuka. Kovu tells us both to keep quiet. I nod as Nuka stays in place while Kovu approaches us. Kiara then hears his footsteps, turns around, and sees him. At first she is estatic to see him before she starts to look at him with a more loving gaze as if saying "I finally found you". Unable to keep his playful side in check, Nuka bolts over effortlessly tackling me off the knoll as Kiara and Kovu run to each other before coming to nuzzle one another. The two sudenly go into quick play before they sit together, Kovu moving some of the ash aside to reveal a sprout. They nuzzle lovingly as Nuka gets rough with his play, biting and yanking my ear, me kicking him back trying to get him to let go.

A gentle breeze blows by carrying two butterflies that Kovu starts to chase. Kiara runs after him, the two of them laughing as they go into a very brief wrestle. They wind up lying in front of a water source seeing their half reflections becoming one. I'm able to slip away from Nuka stopping in front of the water source. I look down seing my reflection once again, only this time I see a quick image of Edd. In response I jerk my head back astonished before Nuka knocks me into the water him jumping in after me. He soon stops watching as I get up still looking at the water seeing my whole reflection. I look up at the starry sky seeing some clouds beginning to form, and one of them takes the shape of Edd rather quickly before looking like a cloud again. Kovu tries to convice Kiara that they run away and start a pride.

"Is something wrong, Mwezi?" Nuka asks walking over to me.

"Something isn't right...I'm seeing Edd." I reply looking at him.

I hear Kiara tell Kovu, "Kovu, we have to go back."

Kovu looks at her surprise and unwilling responding, "You're kidding. But we're finally together!"

"Our place is with our pride." Kiara explains, "If we run away, they'll be divided forever."

"She's right." I call, "We need to go back. I think something may have happened to Edd!"

They look at me Kiara asking, "What do you mean?"

Nuka replies, "She said she saw a quick image of Edd while looking at her reflection, and then saw a cloud briefly take on his shape."

"Her reflection? Then a cloud? What could it all mean?" Kovu asks looking at Kiara.

I dash passed them shouting, "Let's get back now!"

"Mwezi!" the three of them call before they follow in pursuit.

Back in the Pridelands a short while later, the rain has gotten heavy. Timon and Pumbaa enter the cavern in complete worry again. Shenzi looks out into the rain worried about Edd. Pretty soon, Timon and Pumbaa argue with each other over who was supposed to watch Kiara and I before getting into an all-out match as Simba enters from the rain with Enlil. Both shake off the rain before Simba speaks causing Pumbaa to respond quickly, leaping to attention easily flinging Timon off him. Enlil walks passed them curling up in a spot lying down and closing his eyes when Simba asks what they're doing.

Timon responds as he climbs up onto Pumbaa's snout, "Good question! Now let me ask you one."

Pumbaa starts, "Hippo-thetically..."

Timon starts correcting him, "Very hypo-thetical, there's this guy..."

"But he's not a lion..." Pumbaa cuts in.

"No! No, he's not a lion...yeesh!" Timon goes on as Simba looks on amused, "Definetly not a lion. And, uh...uh... his daughters, um, say...vanished."

Simba demands, "Mwezi and Kiara are gone?"

Zazu soon flies in quite frantic, "Sire! The Outsiders are on the attack... heading this way! It's waaarrr!"

Enlil's head pops up in response, "Are you serious? King Simba!" he says standing up, "What shall I do to help?"

Simba replies, "Zazu! Shenzi! Banzai! You three go find the girls! Enlil, Timon, Pumbaa, we'll assemble the lionesses! Move! Now!"

"We're on it!" Shenzi says immeditaly jumping out into the rain.

"Whoa Shenzi! Wait up!" Banzai calls.