Thanks for my three awesome reviewers beforehand! Love you guys. ;D

Also got some awesome feedback from the two other sites I posted this at—once again, thank you all. I love feedback, so I was incredibly content.

Suppose that's all I have to say. Hope this chapter is just as pleasing!

Wokovu: Kovu's Journey

Chapter 2: Nightmare

He was running, as he often was doing in his more recent dreams. Around him, the Pridelands were considerably darker; the sky was black as night, though no stars were visible. He was running away from Pride Rock, back toward the Outlands….

Kovu glanced behind him. The fog was coming—the thick mist that was always following him in this dream, the reason for his fleeing from Pride Rock. It was nearing him; it would overtake Kovu soon.

Other animals stood on either side of him, clearing somewhat of a path for the running lion. Their cries mirrored those that they had made not long before—he was not one of them, he was an outsider, and he would always be this way no matter what he did.

Invisible entities that felt like twigs smacked at his face (though he was in a treeless area of the savanna), slowing him down significantly. The fog descended upon Kovu, and amid the other animals, he fell to the ground, the other animals then forming a sort-of barricade around him and the trailing fog. Kovu stared, frightened, into the translucent mist, and watched in horror as it began to change—to take a distinct shape. The vapory mass swirled around purposefully, slowly forming limbs, a tail, a head….

Within seconds, Kovu was staring into the face of Simba.

The king of Pride Rock roared dauntingly, and Kovu shrunk back and winced, even though he knew that he could not be physically hurt in his dreams. He tried to speak, but found that he could not… and this terrified him more than anything.

"Traitor," boomed Simba. "And after all I have done for you."

Kovu squirmed, trying desperately to avert his gaze from Simba's.

"My Pride may very well be dead within the hour. I hold you responsible."

"N-n-," Kovu stuttered.

"I should have known. I should have known that this was all some elaborate game you and the other Outlanders were playing with us. And to think I trusted you…"

"It wasn't me!" Kovu finally cried. "A-another lion… not me…"

"You expect me to believe this? You told me all lions and lionesses from the Outlands were accounted for when you joined us. Do not even try to lie to me."

Simba pinned Kovu to the ground, pressing his paws against the younger lion's chest. He knelt down, close to Kovu's face. "Even Kiara trusted you," he whispered. "Oh, if you could only see the state she is in."

Kovu gasped. "No! Kiara… she wouldn't… she knows I am innocent—"

"SILENCE," roared Simba, and Kovu fell quiet. "No," he growled, "not even Kiara was fooled by your trickery."

Simba looked up and glanced around at the surrounding creatures. "Let this be a lesson," he said, "to anyone who is exposed as a treasonous coward such as Kovu." He stared back down at the cringing lion, and raised his paw, claws extended. He let it fall—

Kovu awoke abruptly, sensing something resting lightly on his back. He rolled over swiftly, coming face to face with Kiara. She smiled. "Wake up!" she said, laughing. "You've been asleep for a while."

Grunting, Kovu stretched and rose. "Sorry…" he said with a smirk. "I was having an… interesting dream. Guess I didn't want to wake up, eh?"

Kiara nuzzled Kovu's neck, brushing past him and beginning to exit the cave. "Just don't make it a habit, alright? Daddy wants us to accompany him on a hunt today… will you be able to?"

"Don't see why not, I guess…" affirmed Kovu, though his mind had clearly wandered to another topic as a result—he had to find Vitani before they left. "Just… give me a few, okay?"

Kiara nodded, beaming. "I'll go tell him!" she announced, taking off in the direction of the promontory. Kovu watched her go, making sure she was out of sight completely before she set off in the opposite direction out of the cave. He could only speculate where Vitani was, but he imagined that she would be in the shade of a few nearby trees up against Pride Rock.

He was right; there she was, surrounded by two other sleeping lionesses. She was lying down, though not asleep; rather, she appeared to be in a deep concentration.

Kovu stepped lightly between the quiescent lionesses, reaching Vitani and nudging her slightly. The lioness jerked faintly in surprise, rolling around to face Kovu. Without a word, she nodded, and began to saunter off toward the savanna, Kovu soon beside her.

"I take it you thought about what I told you?" Vitani asked with a hint of concern. "About Jasusi?"

"A great deal," replied Kovu. "Many sleepless nights and secluded days… haven't done much else besides think of it." He looked over at her. "What about you and the other lionesses? Has it been deliberated further among you all?"

Vitani sighed. "A bit, but I think most of us have been trying not to think about it; we're going with the hope that nothing actually happens, that Jasusi cannot find an ally for Mother's cause."

"I think it'd be best if we went on the assumption that she has or will find one. At least we'd be prepared for the worst and wouldn't get caught off guard."

Pausing beside a small oasis, Vitani bent over to drink a few swallows of water, before turning back to Kovu. "You're probably right. Do you have a plan, though?"

"Kind of," said Kovu.

"Well, it's better than what we have. What is it?"

"…I think I'm going to go try to find her."

Vitani lingered upon that for a moment, before replying, "By yourself?"

Kovu nodded. "That's the plan."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"As good as I could, I guess… why?"

"Because that's crazy!" cried Vitani. "What if she found allies of Mother's? You'd be completely outmatched! Not to mention that you don't even know where Jasusi ran off to!"

"I take it you don't like the plan."

"Basically," growled Vitani. "At least take me and some of the other lionesses with you… or even tell Simba! This very well may concern him, after all."

"Simba can't know," said Kovu, his eyes downcast. "I was… hoping you could keep him and the others at bay while I was gone."

"Kovu, I'm not letting you go off by yourself!"

"Please," Kovu stared into the eyes of his sister pleadingly. "This is all on me. I must go alone… Scar always said I was his heir. Maybe, if Jasusi has found allies, they would listen to me."

Vitani rolled her eyes. "Do you see in this some sort of act of undying loyalty to the Pride? Is this why you're doing this? Kovu, you don't need to prove yourself! Simba trusts you!"

"How can we be so sure? What if he thinks we're behind this?"

Vitani paused, and turned away. "I… I don't know. As much as I want to see he would, I'm worried about it now that you bring it up. Maybe it's because of Mother's influence…"

"Either way," Kovu rested a paw on Vitani's shoulder, "it's something I must do. Can I count on you to keep the others at bay?"

"I… guess I could." She turned back toward Kovu. "What are you going to tell Kiara?"

"I'm… not sure," said Kovu sadly. "But it can't be the truth, whatever it is—she'd want to come, and I can't risk her security."

Vitani nodded in comprehension. "You could… say that you were heading back out to the Outlands, to retrieve something useful we had forgotten."

"That would only give me a day. I'd need more than that."

"Well," said Vitani, "I've heard before of lions heading out into the extreme wilderness to 'find themselves' or however they put it. You know, a meditative retreat or something."

Kovu perked up a bit. "You know, that doesn't sound too bad in more ways than one. It definitely would suffice for a few days of searching, that's for sure." He paused momentarily before continuing. "You'd have to tell her."

"Me? Why me?"

"I'll be leaving in the middle of the night, once everyone is asleep. I won't have the opportunity to let her know, and even if I did, I think she'd still want to come with me." He grimaced. "She sure does care a lot."

"I can do that, then," said Vitani. "I'll let the other Outlander lionesses know what's happening as well… we'll hold the others off as long as we can."

"If I'm not back within a few days, expect the worst."

Vitani nodded sadly. "I understand."

"—Kovu, we're leaving!" came Kiara's voice from atop the promontory. Kovu and VItani peered up at the overlook to see Simba and Kiara standing there, Simba with an expectant look on his face.

Kovu motioned to them and turned back to his sister. "Thank you…" he said. "I can't even begin to show my gratitude."

"Eh, I've never been one for affectionate gestures anyway," said Vitani with a wink. "Go on and try to enjoy your time with her, alright?"

Kovu forced a grin. "I'll try." He nodded one last time and bounded back up the rock, to where Simba and Kiara were waiting keenly.

At least one phase, he thought to himself, had gone well. Now, all he could do was wait and, as Vitani had said, try to enjoy what could be his final hours with Kiara.

END CHAPTER

Firstly, before I get any comments concerning it, I'm aware that dream-Simba was pretty much a total bastardization of the real Simba. It was just a dream, not really how Simba may have reacted in real life—at least, I think so.

So yeah, I had intended on finishing this chapter a little later on, but this works too—besides, I need sleep very badly.

Feedback appreciated! Thanks for reading, my dear readers.

Yours in fiction,

YFWE