Chapter III
Four months later…
The morning glow of the sun continued to ray down on the lands. That morning had seen a miracle in the working. Only a few hours ago, the birth of a new heir had been completed. It was overwhelming for Kovu, he saw it coming seen as he was the one to suggest this but he was astounded knowing he was a father. It gave him a sense of pride. Soon enough, the news of the birth of the new King was quickly spread, gathering the residents of the pridelands to Pride Rock only for rejoicing. Lines of the species of animals were scattered amongst the perimeter of the king's home all preparing eagerly to witness themselves the presentation of the son of the prince.
The cub was dark brown; precisely like his father. Perhaps a shade darker in his fur coat. He had brown eyes, strong and playful identical to his mothers. Kovu's appearance was strongly represented through his cub; a spitting image of a proud father. The small tuft of dark brown mane on his head just mirrored a cub Kovu.
Only being born hours ago the cub retained cuteness. Kovu and Kiara had themselves, to them, a perfect son.
Kovu couldn't resist staring at his son overjoyed. The only thing on his mind was the thought of his son being a strong leader. The cub had done nothing but sneeze and open its eyes, but Kovu had a strange emotion inside him that made him feel prouder of his son than ever. Kovu just couldn't wait to get in and raise the little bundle.
Kiara was sat at the entrance to the cavern of Pride Rock, exhausted after experiencing cub – birth. Something in her mind stated she would experience that again. But it was all worth it, she gazed down at her cub, amazed that the thing was hers. She slowly extended her warm tongue onto the small bundle of cub and licked her newborn.
"I promise that nothing will ever happen to you." She whispered to the cub. "No one's gonna hurt you; no one's gonna care for you as much as we do."
The cub still remained unnamed. Within minutes of the perimeter of Pride Rock being surrounded by various animals, the wise, old, Shaman, Rafiki, skipped happily and in song up the ramp. Today, the stressors and depressive swings others had felt before were no more and everyone was getting along. It was astounding; the birth of a cub could change the mood of everyone.
Simba greeted the wise mandrill with a trusting hug. He was overly surprised, his daughter had a son, he was a grandfather. Never in a million years did he see his life flash by as quick as it was. It made him feel old. Nevertheless, he was proud all the same.
Nala was just as shocked, but relieved that Kiara survived cub – birth. It sent her a chilling flashback to when she almost lost her own life in labour, but the feeling was suppressed by her relief and excitement for her daughter.
The same traditions for a newborn were repeated. Rafiki the shaman skipped up to the new parents and the small cub pawing away at the air. Kovu could feel his neck tightening, he slumped next to his mate and placed his muzzle next to hers. Rafiki removed a fruit from his staff, snapped it in two, dabbed his finger in the thick juices in the middle, slid his thumb against the forehead of the newborn, relinquished it from the clutches of the princess and nodded at the new parents. He had performed this ceremony countless times but it still warmed him up inside as he lifted the cub and slowly plodded to the tip of the lower summit. He grabbed the confused cub underneath its two tiny forelegs and carefully lifted it to the skies, where the animals begun to loudly rejoice. The stomp of the hooves and crash of the elephant feet with the screams of the monkeys and screeches from various other animals first startled the tiny cub but it soon looked...disinterested. It seemed to show no emotion in it's face. The face however was unseen to any of the lions and they just kept their proud spirits up.
Kiara, Nala and Simba, Timon and Pumbaa and Zazu gazed on at the tiny lion all with huge grins spread across their faces. All but one. Kovu. He did look at his son before a very strong pain attacked his underbelly. He hoped it would pass, he had experienced that kind of pain before when he had a hernia, but it wouldn't pass. Almost instantaneously after, his vision begun to become more difficult to see and swayed from left to right...left to right...left to right...
Quite suddenly Kovu could see nothing but fire. Fire that raged around the pride and outlands. It was frighteningly real. The most freaky part was seeing a lion barricaded by flames. They were surrounded. It wasn't clear whether the lion was male or female but he could feel the flames practically on his muzzle. The lion slowly fell to the floor and presumably died. The deadly vision moved closer but it was still not clear who the lion was. It quickly flipped around to find no exit. The flames surrounded Kovu quickly, and without warning, Kovu fell to the floor, watching the flames surround him and almost consume him. The smoke arising was quickly becoming a blur and the flames an orange glow as he could hear the soft screams of his name from Kiara.
"Kovu!" Kiara screamed once more, lightly slapping Kovu in the face. No response from him. He was down on the floor, spread out as if he were dead. After Kiara shrieked his name once more the ceremony came to an abrupt halt. All of the lions swivelled their heads around, Rafiki lowered the cub, turning around and the rest of the creatures and animals just watched up in confusion. Kiara still got no response from him where her eyes began to slightly fill with tears.
Kovu groaned weakly where he could hear a collective sigh of relief. He could then feel Kiara's soft muzzle rubbing up against his. When he opened his eyes his mind was at the ceremony once more.
"Oh my god Kovu!" Kiara screamed when she heard a second weak groan. "What the hell's going on?"
"Kiara," Kovu started opening his eyes, "I don't think were safe anymore..."
"What? What you mean?"
"I-I don't really know how to describe it.."
Kovu was helped up by his mate and when he sat down no one stopped staring at him.
"It was...sort of like vision thing. I don't know why but all I saw was fire. It was just everywhere! I could practically feel the flames on my muzzle. The smoke lifted so quickly and I..."
"What?"
"I saw a lion. I didn't have a clue who it was but it was a lion. They were surrounded by the flames, screeching for their life. I couldn't help them. What's happening to me?"
"Kovu, did you just have another premonition?" Kiara questioned.
Kovu gazed at Kiara, shocked that even he was thinking that, before his attention fell to the floor, confused and beginning to perspire.
"I just did. I just had a premonition. I actually thought I was there."
Kovu was shocked.
"Who did you say was in the fire?"
"Well, there was me and another..."
"But who?. I wont let this slide."
"I haven't got the memory of an elephant you know I can't remember it too well."
"You just had the damn thing how can you not remember it?"
"Oh I'm sorry!"
"Just...just try to remember it okay?"
Kovu did his up most to recall the events of his deadly replay, but all he could see was the charred remains of a lion/lioness and orange glows. The harder he thought about it, the blurrier it got. It was no use.
"I can't. I can't do it I cant work it out." Kovu replied.
Well, then can't it wait maybe just an hour?" Kiara whispered.
"No! Don't you get it? You don't do you? Danger's around, I can sense it! One of us is in danger! No one is safe anymore! The safeties gone!"
"Kovu shut up!" Kiara hissed.
By now the attention of most of the pride was caught by the screams and cries from the prince. The king and queen, the bumbling duo followed by the majordomo and various lionesses surrounded the new parents in a semi circle, all of their interests caught. The wise shaman soon squeezed into the semi circle.
"Kovu, keep it down..." Nala whispered.
"I can't! I'm trying to warn you all, run while you still have the chance!" Kiara pressed her paw lightly against Kovu's shoulder but he violently jerked. "Don't touch me! Get away from there, its getting closer! The flames-they're getting closer...no!"
No one looked away from the insane black lion. Their kept their eyes firmly locked on him staring on in awe.
"The safeties gone. Nothings left..."
"What are you talking about?" Simba instructed. "What's going on?"
"I saw the lands...burning! The flames surrounded me so quickly I...I didn't see it coming."
"The lands aren't burning."
"Maybe not now...but-but they will. I saw it...I saw it!"
"Not all premonition's come true you know..."
"How'd you know? Have you ever had one?"
The semi circle was invaded with a dead silence. None of the lions and extras knew what to say. Kovu wiped some dripping sweat from his forehead and gave a nervous sigh. A cough came from one of the lionesses as they inhaled to speak.
"Yes." Nala spoke up.
The attention of the pride switched automatically to the lion queen. Still no one dared to say anything.
"Before I returned to the pridelands after Simba did, I saw what Scar was going to do to him. I managed to catch him in time but practically a day after Scar's death I saw Zira's attempt. A day! I didn't say anything, I thought you'd all think I was insane. Just after Kovu's second exile I saw the war between the prides and how it could have ended..."
"How?" Simba stepped forward, interested. "How'd it end?"
"Do you really want to kno-"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Well, if they hadn't have intervened you'd now be dead."
An awkward silence filled in the gaps. Without him realising, Simba had cheated death four times in his life. But more importantly, the possibility of darkness and evil was an accusation. How was it possible? Even after there were no sources of evil? The possibilities they were going to have to accept were that it potentially wasn't safe. Kovu, confused and panting, couldn't relax. His thoughts were locked on the deadly replay that had just possessed his mind.
The wise Shaman Rafiki walked up to the princess, placed her newborn in her paws and giggled when the cub mewed. The ceremony process had to be completed.
"We must continue…'ave you decided a name for de cub?"
Kovu cleared more sweat from his face, but allowed his mate to respond to the question.
"No." Kiara replied. "We didn't...didn't really think about that."
"I thought you said you had a good one." Kovu said, swivelling his head around attempting to relax himself.
"Yeah...but-but its a stupid name..."
"I didn't think it was, I kinda liked it."
"Okay but when you told me it's a form of manual labour..."
"What is it?" Simba interrupted.
Kiara looked at her father briefly before searching for support from her mate. He gave a warm smile, relaxing more. Kiara sighed, looking down at her cub. It was at peace and just so adorable. The snoozing cub's chest slowly moved in and out, it not having a clue about the life it was about to walk into.
"Well, I...I don't know if it's the best of names for a future king..." Kiara protested.
"Come on, Kiara, you know that a name doesn't define personality." Simba reassured.
"Ever heard of King Nira of the south eastern pride?"
"Yeah?" The pride nodded in unison.
"That's the name I want for my cub. Nira."
No one spoke.
"But...that king could be compared to Scar..." Nala explained.
"Yes but you just said names don't define personality." Kiara counter acted.
"Okay, but I'm just saying..."
"Saying what mother? Just because his name is the same as a bad king he'll be like that?"
"Well no..."
"Then it's settled." Kiara turned to Kovu. "You liked the name?"
"I did like it." Kovu said. "It's a nice name."
After a few more minutes of silence, the pride disbanded. The prince and princess shared a nuzzle for the birth of their son. The nuzzle they shared had security and love interwoven in it. Kovu pulled away and licked the side of Kiara's cheek before standing up and coughing.
"I have some business to attend to."
()0()0()
Vitani was slumped to the side on the edge of west gorge. She was showing signs of shock. Of everything that had ever happened to her, this was one of the worst things to have happened. It was possibly worse than watching her mother fall and die. She could do nothing but stare into the dry, unforgiving plains of west gorge, one of the deepest sectors. She couldn't forgive herself for what she witnessed, in fact she even shed a tear for it.
Vitani never really cared for anyone outside her family, but that was just cruel to watch. She felt like crying, but she knew she couldn't. Vitani just lay there, thinking what she could have done. But there was nothing she could have done. Nothing.
Sat beside her was two distraught cubs. The older of the two was flooded with emotional tears and fright. The younger cub couldn't work out what was going on but was frightened. This was all so confusing...
Kovu continued to follow the track of paw prints and the strong scent of blood until he arrived at west gorge to find the two frightened cubs and the shocked Vitani. Confused, he cautiously approached the situation and sat.
"Vitani?" Kovu asked.
Vitani sighed. "Have you ever seen something you wish you hadn't? Because I just did, Kovu. What I just witnessed was something I had hoped I would never had to see. Never in my life."
"What did you see?"
"I saw, two lions. They were rouges and with their cubs, minding their own business."
Kovu looked to the left. "These are their cubs?"
"Yes, yes they are. When suddenly, the male of the two stepped back and slipped. The tiny crack in the ground couldn't hold the weight. As the female tried to help him, they fell. They just fell. It looked almost like they were being dragged, Kovu. Dragged. Dragged into hell, maybe. They left their cubs, as they fell to their dooms. Here they are. I couldn't believe it. What am I supposed to do with them? I can't just throw them over or leave them, or even kill them, that would be cruel. These cubs will die if I don't do something. What can I do? What can I do?"
Kovu stared at the two devastated cubs. The older one looked at Kovu like he was about to kill her. She was shaking, her fur trembling and the younger cub was hidden under his sister. The younger of the two began to cry. They whispered into each others ears, not audible for the surrounding lions.
Kovu then swivelled round at Vitani who was still flopped on the floor. She was crying slightly; probably just enough. Kovu knew what he thought she could do, but he didn't know if it was a great idea. The now orphaned cubs reminded him of his tragic loss all those years ago; the death of his real father. He looked to the skies and something suddenly clicked in his mind as he replayed a tragedy.
The cub version of Kovu stood at the side of the deep river with his blood father. His father was about to teach him on how to swim in deep water. There was a weakened dam holding the water in from bursting. The small cub stood at the edge, afraid to jump into the cold, deep, dark water.
"Come on, its fine!" His father yelled over to him.
"I'm-I don't think it's safe dad!" Kovu yelled back.
"I'm okay, son. Nothings going to happen to you!"
"But what if it does?"
"You're too paranoid. Look that rumour about the lion getting killed in a lake isn't true. It was to get attention. He was killed in a fight. Come on son this part of the lake is alligator – free!"
"But I'm gonna drown! Please dad, I'm too scared..."
Kovu's father was concerned for his only son. He thought that if he couldn't even face swimming then he was going to find it impossible to live on his own. Kovu's father sighed, dunked his head under for a quick wash, bobbed back up and began to kick back.
"It's okay, Kovu. Next time, eh?" He reassured Kovu.
Suddenly, there wasn't going to be a next time. Kovu noticed parts of the dam breaking off. Wood started to crumble from the top as if someone had pulled out the wrong bit. Little streams of it started to become more heavily flowed.
"Dad!" Kovu screeched. "Get out of the water!"
Within seconds of the warning, the dam crashed into broken wood and flowing water. The current was too fiercely strong for Kovu's father to withstand. Kovu could do nothing but watch his own father get swept away by the violent water, destroying almost everything in it's way. He did nothing more that scream his fathers name out with no response but tiny droplets of water splashing on his face and the roar of the water. His father was dead; he knew it. Just like his mother.
Kovu ran further up the side of the gorge and couldn't see him anywhere. There were no signs of movement besides the dying down of the wave that had destroyed everything. Cub Kovu closed his eyes tightly...
Kovu suddenly opened his eyes again and he had returned to the present. He wiped a tear from his face and tried to forget about the horrible tragedy. He inhaled. A decision had to be made here and then.
"You could take them in..." Kovu suggested. Vitani shot her head up, looked at her adopted brother, threw herself up and stared coldly at him.
"Have you gone completely off the rails?" She shouted. "I can't look after these cubs! I'm an extremely unfit lion to even look after myself! I couldn't nurture them properly, let alone keep them sane! I just don't think it's a good idea for a Scar follower like myself to-"
"Excuse me?" Kovu interrupted. "Did you just say you still follow...him?"
"Well, he was my father..."
There was once again a dead silence. Kovu couldn't even begin to imagine what just passed through his ears. He knew now that the decision he made right here and now could send the fate of everyone directly out the window. This decision was going to be tough; let a Scar – follower bring up two cubs, allow two cubs to die in vain and live with the guilt forever.
He started to pace back and forth, snarling as he made his decision. Kovu kept thinking of the constant guilt he would have to live with if he let the cubs die, he had lived with guilt before, it wasn't easy. But he then thought of what could become of them if he let a Scar - follower raise them.
He continued to pace back and forth pondering what to do. Vitani didn't have a clue on how to raise cubs, she was barely capable of looking after herself. She watched Kovu pace, deep in his thoughts about what to do. Kovu eventually turned to Vitani with his decision.
"I am trusting you to take in the cubs." Kovu answered.
Shocked, Vitani stared at Kovu before she looked at her new children. She turned back to Kovu.
"I just don't think I could do this, Kovu. I mean what if I did something wrong and they turned out bad?"
Kovu smiled at his sister reassuringly.
"I have faith in you, Vitani. You may not be blood - related, but I think of you as my full sister and I have total trust in you. I, Kiara and Simba are always here if you need help. I'll be happy to give it! Please, Vitani, I have total faith in you."
"But, but what if they did..."
"Vitani, what if they don't? They won't, do you know why? Because we're gonna help you!"
"I just can't do this!"
"You'll never know until you try!"
"I don't want to try..."
"Well, now I'm not giving you a choice Vitani. I'm putting my paw down. This is your responsibility, and plus maybe having cubs will help you forget about Scar and mother."
"I highly doubt that..."
"I don't, because I still have plenty of faith in you to do this. Please."
Kovu continued to smile warmly at Vitani as she came to her own decision.
"If I am going to look after them then, what am I gonna name them?"
()0()0()
Back at Pride Rock, Kiara was still sitting with her slumbering newborn in her paws, Nira. She loved her son like nothing she had ever loved before. She was going to care for it even if it killed her. But more importantly, it was not going to turn dark under any circumstances.
Simba walked over to his daughter and grandson. He had never been so proud of Kiara. He felt a huge amount of pride as Nira came into his eye line. The little cub reminded Simba of the day Kiara was born. One of the happiest days of his life.
"How is he?" He asked.
"He's fine." Kiara responded. Nira mewed, opening his brown eyes. "It's so weird! It does make me feel proud to stare at him. But I am concerned, because Kovu's been acting really weird recently for some reason. Wait, where is he actually? He's been gone for ages."
Kiara's attention was drawn when she saw her mate climb the top of the ramp. She smiled and sighed but Kovu did not look happy.
"Kiara, there's some bad news." Kovu said.
"Why? What's wrong?" Kiara asked.
Vitani walked up to them with her two new cubs resting on her back. Kiara remained seated with her cub.
"Wh- what's going on?" Kiara stuttered.
"I hate to break it to you, but..."
"But what? Come on what is it?"
"Two lions have just died on west gorge border."
"Oh. Any, any other news?"
"Vitani watched them die..."
"I'm sorry you had to experience that."
"They also left their poor cubs as well." Kovu explained. "She is taking them in."
Kiara was shocked at first. She really didn't know how to react so she remained sitting there.
"How'd it happen?" Simba asked. Simba and Nala had been eavesdropping and plodded over, their interest caught.
"Well, how do you think it happened?." Vitani spat.
"You're not in a position to talk to me like that Vitani..."
"They just fell off, okay?" In her eyes there was something telling the lion king she was lying, but when he saw the expression on her face Simba thought otherwise.
"But as I'm keeping them because I didn't know their names I'm renaming them. The older one told me what their parents called so that's what I'm calling them. The girl's Shemba and the boy's Kamba. The girl's the older one, but that's all I know about them."
Shemba was a dim furred lioness with a grey underbelly. She seemed to be interested in what was going on. Saying nothing, she looked down and noticed the tiny cub in Kiara's paws. Her interest in the cub had been caught, she wanted to get to know him.
Kamba was almost a charcol black. There hadn't been a cub this black since the rise of Scar. His underbelly was a brown but he had a dark brown tuft of hair where his mane would grow. Both cubs had hazel eyes however Shemba's eyes were lighter than Kamba's.
"Will you be able to look after two by yourself?" Kiara asked.
"I'm sure I'll be fine. My mother managed 3, didn't she?"
Everyone nodded reluctantly.
"I think I'll be able to do this! I would hope anyway"
Vitani in an instant was gone again with her two new cubs. She had absolutely no idea how she was going to take care of the cubs, but she was determined to.
As they stood there silently acknowledging the death of the two lions, Kovu suddenly started to sway left to right. He let out a groan in pain and swayed about more. Like he had just been shot directly in the heart. He was having another premonition.
In the deadly replay he saw a violent storm hit while walking with Kiara and a cub, possibly Nira, but older. There were trees, which strangely disappeared to reveal Vitani and her two cubs by an oasis. His deadly replay began to fade slowly and painfully as a huge bolt of lightning flew from the sky to where Vitani was. Kovu attempted to end it by shutting his eyes tight for a few seconds before re opening them. But it didn't work first time. His replay continued as everyone had run up to the oasis and saw a faded blurry cub lying on the floor. The second time he tightly closed his eyes, it worked.
He stopped. When Kovu opened his eyes he was breathing extremely heavily, lying on the floor once more with all eyes on him.
"What happened?" Kiara screeched.
"I…I just saw..storm! Move out the way!" Kovu shouted, still hyperventilating "There, was a storm and lightning...it just killed Vitani and her cubs it just killed them!"
No one could really believe or explain what was happening. What was going on? Was Kovu just going insane? Simba stepped forward to speak.
"Come on Kovu, I'll calm you down. Lets get a drink." Kovu nodded and stood up, still shaking and frightened and followed his father in law for a drink. Kiara stayed sitting there while she bathed her new child. Her concern and curiosity grew stronger. But more concern for Kovu.
()0()0()
As they arrived at the large oasis Kovu bent down and rippled the water slowly, taking a prolonged drink. He swallowed the water and cleared his throat. When he had finished, Simba had a question to ask.
"Do you get these premonitions often?" Simba asked.
Kovu sighed. "Well, recently, at an alarming rate. I don't know what's happening to me. Am I just going insane Simba?"
"I don't know. But this is why I want you to report to me the minute you have any other premonitions, whatever I'm doing, come and find me."
"Okay." Kovu sighed. "Simba?"
"Yeah?"
"How am I gonna raise my cub? I haven't got a clue what to do."
Simba sat down.
"I thought exactly the same thing when Kiara was born. I thought I was gonna screw up big time. But I didn't. You're gonna come out of this just fine."
Kovu smiled at his father in law and looked to the sky, thinking of what was to come of the next few months.
()0()0()
Later in the day Kovu was determined to get to the bottom of the visions. For no reason why, Kovu decided to see Vitani about it.
He walked across the pridelands where the sun was setting, leaving a bronze yellowy colour around. When he entered the cave the moist smell seeped through his nostrils. Vitani spotted him.
"I'm nursing them better so far," She explained. "They're not okay at the moment."
"Vitani, have you been having weird visions?" Kovu asked.
"What?"
"Well, its just that for a few weeks now I can see gruesome things happening to the pride and it's worrying me. I don't know what's going on...but it's...it's frightening."
"Kovu, I'm going to show you something."
She turned and showed him the drawings on her wall. "These are all of the visions I have had."
"Oh...my...god." Kovu exclaimed.
Every single one of the drawings were practically everything he had been seeing. A few he didn't recognise but mostly the same.
"So, what do you think triggered them?" Kovu gulped.
"I haven't got a clue. How about we just meet whenever we have a vision? That way we'll know if it's really gonna happen."
"What if it's a lot more serious than that?" Kovu said. "I mean, what if every single one of these premonitions come true? Does that mean we are all in danger?"
Vitani sighed.
"I don't know yet. I have thought about it for weeks now. If it is just you and me then it is something to do with our side of the family. Which means we are one step ahead! This could be a good thing!"
"Let's just stick to your plan now and see what happens."
"Okay." Vitani said. They smiled at each other as Kovu departed for Pride Rock. Vitani had lied to Kovu. She knew exactly what was going on...
()0()0()
Kovu stepped back up on Pride Rock. There was an uplifting feeling as he walked back on to see Kiara. He stepped over to her and they shared a warm smile as Kovu sat next to her.
"So? What did she say?" Kiara asked eagerly.
"…Vitani has been having the visions too." Kovu replied.
Kiara stared at him in shock. All of their lives were possibly at risk here. They spoke no more of it that day or night as they got on with raising their cub and putting Vitani's plan into action.
NAME MEANINGS:
Nira = Yoke (used by a farmer for oxen)
Kamba = A language spoken in Kenya
Shemba = My friend told me it's got something to do with emotion/attraction
