Chapter IV

"Dad! Dad!"
Cub Kovu darted around in horror; his father was nowhere. Even though he was alone, the fact that he had become orphaned terrified him more than anything else. Kovu could only stare down into the viciously raging waters that had just murdered his father, it was unforgiving and far too violent to watch. It continued to rage along killing anything in its path, throwing water up from the gorge and splashing the cub. The water was icy cold.

Kovu saw no signs of any life in the waters that had now calmed and streamed peacefully, drifting remaining slices of wood. His little heart sank as tears of sadness freed themselves from his green eyes. He wailed and cried, just having to witness his father's demise. He was now orphaned, both parents dead, no sisters, no brothers, no surrounding prides, nothing. He flopped down onto the damp floor and curled, freezing and broken hearted. Whimpering weakly.

He was in the frozen curl for hours, just hoping that someone would come along. Nothing. No one. His stomach growled lowly. This was it. His short life was coming to an end. He could do nothing but watch the waters in the gorge and slowly drift away into his dream world.

It took a prolonged, slow day to pass before anyone took notice of the shaking hungry cub.
Kovu suddenly felt a sharp claw flip him over. He attempted to pretend he was dead, so what seemed to be like a predator, wouldn't eat him. The lion didn't. He opened one of his fearful green eyes to see the lion inspecting the frightened cub was very skinny. He had a black matted mane and dark fur. The scar that haunted his left eye gave the impression this was not a friendly lion. Kovu gave a little grunt as the anonymous lion picked up Kovu and violently shoved him on his back. Kovu was confused, the mysterious lion continued to inspect the shaking cub. Then, very gently the black lion placed Kovu on his back. Still frightened, Kovu didn't know what was going to happen to him however he was in no position to pass off care.

"You're the one." Scar proclaimed.

Kovu's eyes shot open, dilated in shock. That particular flashback was shameful. He should never have accepted help off of Scar. The idea that his adopted father could still be roaming the earth still slaughtered him inside. Kovu had a strong resentment towards the most heartless lion that ever existed. Almost every second that Scar trained him, he could have just run away. He could have just left and found a different pride and saved his own life.
On the other paw it was only one lioness that stopped him from making a break for it; Vitani. Vitani practically was his older sister and she treated Kovu like he meant something to the world. If Zira ever hit or shouted abuse at the weak cub, Vitani would stand up for him or console. The childhood Kovu had was demoralising, and Vitani made up for that. The fact that he couldn't trust her now, punched him directly in the heart. The lioness had thought long and hard and to her dismay she was still a follower of the black king. No matter how much she didn't want to, she had to follow her father. There was a strange force pulling her back from being a pridelander. A strange force that was too strong to defeat.

More prolonged, frightening months passed since the birth of Nira and the death of the innocent lions. All three cubs now had the ability to talk and roam free. Kovu and Vitani continued to have premonitions and the full wrath of them was slowly being unleashed.

"Kiara, Kiara!" Kovu whispered.
"What's the matter?" Kiara yawned.
It only took a soft concerned yawn from his mate to relax the stressed prince. Her voice to him, so graceful and understanding. There was a small part of him that felt guilty for always asking Kiara for guidance.

"Nothing." He smiled. "I just wanted to see if you were awake."
Kiara sat up.
"I know when something's wrong with you, come on what's up?"
"Well, it's just that…I had the...the Scar nightmare again."
"Which one?"
"Where he takes me in." Kiara looked at a stressed out Kovu and sighed at him. She placed her paw atop her mate's.
"Look, Kovu, I promise you now that nothing's gonna happen to us. You may think it is, but things never happen the way people expect it to. Please don't worry about it, because that'll get me in a worry, I don't want you to worry. I'm going to be fine, Nira's going to be fine, and you're going to be fine."

Kiara licked the side of his face, which calmed him down almost instantaneously.
"I love you." She whispered.
Kovu turned to face her.
"I love you too."

Today saw an endless monsoon. The rain and drizzle wouldn't cease. It was flooding parts of the pridelands at a frightening rate. Today however, was the day that Kovu and Kiara had agreed to take Nira out for his second lesson. Nira had been ignored recently, instead playing on his own or with the other two cubs. But Kovu and Kiara wanted to make up for that.

Nira turned out to be a shy, clumsy little cub. He underestimated the importance of being King, mostly because he didn't fully understand. Even though Nira was young, he knewhe wanted to see the whole of Africa. Nira also knew at the young age that he wouldn't be able to handle being king. After his first lesson he had forgotten everything said in it, it worried Kovu how much he had forgotten. This was not going to stop Kovu however, in making sure his son fulfilled his destiny.

Nira had awoken long before anyone else. Due to the fact that Kovu was so busy and Kiara was in the final stages of her training, Nira was pushed to the sidelines a little. Kiara was a little worried that they had a cub a little too early, but loved him all the same.

The young cub Nira stood outside for a split second, trying to feel the creepy presence of the kings of the past as everyone had so talked about, like he did every morning. When he felt nothing, again, he sprinted back inside next to his mother. His brown fur had turned black from the rain and the tuft of mane on his head leached down in front if his eyes. Kiara laughed as he attempted to push it away, but failing in the process. She stood up and extended in an outward stretch. She really was looking forward to spending time altogether today, but didn't want to in the drizzle.

"Mom, dad, come on!" Nira exclaimed with bursting excitement.
"Alright, alright." Kiara chuckled. "Just get your lazy father up."

Nira playfully jumped onto his father's back, shaking and soaking him in water. Kovu grunted and lightly whipped Nira with his tail, startling the cub and making him jump off instantly. Kovu let out a very low pitched yawn where he then proceeded to stand. He looked over to where Nala was still snoozing. Simba wasn't to be seen.

()0()0()

At the entrance to the outlands, the overworked King Simba sat, soaked and dripping from the rain. Simba had decided that whenever he had a depressive mood swing he would go to sit there and think.
Today his mind was surprisingly empty of thoughts; Simba was just watching the rain today splash in puddles and fall from trees. Simba looked into the deserted outlands. The greenery was becoming denser. He felt that they could be put to use somehow, but he didn't know what to do with them. They always gave him haunting nightmares about the past and seemed to just stare at him in the face; a cruel sight.

Nala had awoken minutes earlier and walked through the stormy pridelands to came over to find her mate. She sat down and moved in towards Simba, knowing that he wasn't feeling good.

"Why are you looking at the outlands?" She questioned.
"I, don't really know Nala." Explained Simba. "There is a strange feeling in me. Like it's not okay. Like everything truthful is hidden."
"Has Kovu's visions freaked you out?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
Nala just said nothing and nuzzled Simba's drenched mane. Even though she knew that she was feeling the same. Nothing can ever be as perfect as this.

()0()0()

Later, in the rain – riddled pride lands, Kovu was still attempting to teach his son. The lesson was making very, very slow progress. Disinterested from the early decision he had made, Nira was fooling around by chasing mice and bugs, in fact he had already tripped over twice. Once on a rock and then when Kiara put her paw out to test if he was listening. When he fell over his mother's paw he fell onto the mouse he was catching earlier and had accidentally crushed it.

The older lions sat next to each other, frustrated after a pointless day. Kiara was tapping her left paw in the grass, deepening a soft paw print in the ground each time. Kovu sighed out of aggravation. He turned his head to Kiara.
"This is usless." He whispered.
"I know," Kiara sighed. "But, just keep going. Nira's happy."
"Jeez, Scar was a better teacher than me..."

Nira's interest was suddenly captured the minute Kovu mentioned his adopted father, Scar. He flipped his head up and stared at his parents enthusiastically.
"Who was Scar?" Nira rather eagerly questioned.

Kovu and Kiara's attention switched to their son. Both with slight sneer's on their faces, mostly because their son just asked who his great-great uncle Scar was, but it was more of a concerned gaze because of the fact that they didn't want Nira knowing of the story of the most heartless king and queen, the worst event in the Pridelands since...well ever. But since his attention span seemed minimal, deciding that he would forget it tomorrow, they agreed to tell him. The clouds let out a barely audible crack of thunder, the rain intensifying so much that Kovu's mane almost looked like it had been ironed down.

"Well, the story begins back when your great grandfather Mufasa was murdered. Scar, not king until he murdered him failed to kill Simba, so he exiled him and sent the hyenas to rip him apart…" Kovu continued to tell the story.

Walking towards the oasis nearer Pride Rock than the central watering hole, Vitani had her cubs on her back.
Shemba, the playful step - daughter of Vitani was pawing away at her ears while Kamba wasn't acknowledging her.
Vitani let out a prolonged sigh, bent down and attacked the water with her tongue. She was taking an extremely long drink, being exhausted. Shemba was beginning to pick up habits that Vitani displayed as a cub and was becoming as playful, but stubborn. Kamba on the other paw was just extremely shy. He would do as he was told and sleep when told to. Kamba was completely opposite to his sister. He just remained quiet and to his own thoughts, occasionally seeking comforts from his older sister and playing with her and Nira; but he wouldn't dare acknowledge Vitani. He resented her bigstyle. He actually looked more like he sort of disliked the position they were in, he didn't want to be there in the pridelands, living with Vitani. Shemba was very loud and obnoxious. She did what she wanted whenever she wanted, and she wouldn't dare take no as an answer.

Vitani lifted her head to see her step – son about to jump in the oasis with his sister. She knew they would probably hurt themselves but because she was exhausted, and deep down showed no signs of caring, sat down to unwind. Her head rested over her folded paws and her eye slowly closed, she could feel the rain dancing across her body.

()0()0()

"…When he returned Simba thought he had gone to the wrong place. There was no water flowing, the grass had died, the trees withered and hyena's roamed where they shouldn't. It looked more like a desert..."

Kovu continued to tell the story. Nira was sat on his underbelly, staring up at his father in awe. The story was so interesting, it just blew Nira's tiny mind away. It was the first time in his life that Nira had taken a lesson seriously. Kiara listened as well, realising halfway through her father had actually never fully explained the story of scar. Some of the stuff that Kovu was explaining was actually all new to Kiara and she was disappointed that her father never told her. It seemed odd how Kovu knew a lot about the stuff that occurred before even he was born. With confusion, she stood up and shook the rain off of her which quickly was replaced.

"I'll be back in a minute." She said as she went to find Simba and enquire as to why he never told her the truth.

When she eventually found Simba she felt that she shouldn't confront him; he was feeling over worked and bad enough as it was. Seeing Kovu with Nira and how well they got on made Simba miss his own father. But as Simba said to Kiara a long time ago;
"If you have a problem, tell me."
So she was just following his orders when she walked over to the outlands where Simba and Nala sat.

"Dad?" Kiara said. "I was just out with Kovu and Nira, Kovu was telling Nira about the story of Scar."
Simba suddenly felt his heart drop, the element of frustration in Kiara's voice said it all for Simba.
He was in trouble.

"Why did you never tell me truth?"
There was an awkward silence that fell into the air for a few seconds before Simba gulped, sighed and turned to his mate.

"Nala, could you give us a few minutes?"
Nala nodded in understanding and nuzzled her mate before walking away in the rain to find Kovu and Nira. Kiara sat down next to her father, understanding fully that yet again her father had lied.

"Kiara, the reason I didn't want you knowing was because I was too over-protective."
"That's your best excuse?" Kiara retorted. "Really? Really?"
"It's not an excuse, Kiara. I didn't want you to know it all because I felt that if you knew what I did then you wouldn't want to stay. You might have resented me."
Kiara felt nervous. What was her dad about to tell her?

"I would only resent you father if you carry on lying to me. It's overly frustrating. Come on you can tell me now."
"Kiara, I just don't know you'll be able to handle it..."
"Dad, I'm not a cub anymore. I'll understand."
Simba pondered for a second before finally deciding to allow his daughter to know the truth. He was going to regret this, but nothing he could say would get him out of the situation.

"Scar didn't commit suicide." Simba inhaled and then exhaled heavily, briefly pausing. "I killed him."
"What?" Kiara exclaimed.

()0()0()

"Dad, I'm sorry I wasn't listening earlier." Nira said.
Nira now knew everythingthat was needed to know about the Scar and Zira story. He was eager to go and tell his step - cousins about it, but he probably wouldn't be allowed. Kovu felt like he shouldn't have done that; too little too late.

"Nira, I'm not bothered. So long as you don'ttell Simba I told you then I'm okay. In fact, don't let Simba know you know about me knowing I shouldn't have told you..."

Rather confused by what Kovu had said Nira just nodded and smiled.
"I promise dad" Nira said.
Kovu chuckled a little as he lightly nudged his son to the floor. The cub flopped to the floor literally within seconds of being nudged.
"Ouch!" Nira exclaimed. "Why'd you do that?"
"Well if you were listening, Nira, you would know that a king must remain vigilant."
"Oh you're gonna be sorry!"

Nira then pounced playfully high onto his father where Kovu pretended to fall to the floor, just to humour him. Nira laughed alongside his father, his laughter exactly the same as Kovu's when he was young. He then tried to roar, but only a feeble meow like noise came out. Kovu just roared with laughter at his son's failed attempt at a roar. He playfully shoved his son to the floor and stood up.

"Let me show you how to roar..."

Kovu inhaled very deeply, shut his eyes tightly and let out an ear shattering loud roar that made the trees tremble. Birds scattered from the grass and tiny little creatures scurried away in fright. Vitani sprung up from her snooze and the two other cubs jumped out of the water. It went silent for a few minutes, the only sounds heard was the rain.

Nira looked up at his father towering above in awe; that roar is something Nira wanted to achieve.
"Wow. How'd you do that?" Nira asked with optimism.
"Practice." Kovu joked.

()0()0()

"...actually Kiara, what's more important at the moment is that you have told your son the story of Scar when I specifically told you not to." Simba continued calmly.
Kiara was stood up, angry and felt betrayed.

"You honestly don't get it do you? What is more important to me is that you lied to me, once again!" Kiara bellowed.
"Well you obviously can't be trusted seen as you've done what I told you not to do, again."
"You just told me the reason you didn't tell me was because you thought I'd run away. What so this whole time you just never trusted me? Even after I risked my life for you! Stop lying to me!"
Kiara exhaled in frustration, Simba's guilt growing once more.

Remember Simba, it was for her protection...
"Look father, you told me specifically that you trusted me, oh but apparently wait that's another lie! Anymore lies you'd like to share with me? Eh? You're not my real father I suppose is next?"

"No, it's not Kiara don't be ridiculous!" Simba stayed silent.
"But if you must know...I-I told the true story of scar to Kovu first."

Simba covered his ears with his paws, he knew what was coming next. Kiara's unpreventable anger grew to new levels never achieved before as she growled viciously at the top of her voice.

"What? What? You, told someone you have never trusted a family secret before your own daughter! What's wrong with you? Seriously, I cant understand why, why would you do that? You promised you would stop lying, you're so stupid for forgetting that!"
"Kiara, stop yelling at me! It's my decision."
"It was a bad one, and you are seriously driving me insane. I only asked why you didn't tell me!"
"I didn't tell you because I love you. I just wanted you to fulfil your destiny as queen and..."

"I knew it! I am just part of some big plan. Well you know what father if that's the way you feel then..."

The shouting was suddenly driven to a sudden halt by an extremely loud and devious crack of thunder. Kiara stopped shouting at her father and slowly turned her head to the dark storm cloud that was brewing and looming over the lands. She gulped in unison with her father. They knew what was coming.

In a panic, the animals around the lands began to scatter in search for any shelter they could find. Any pride lionesses outside dashed back into the cavern of Pride Rock. Nala, not finding Nira and Kovu gave up and scrambled back to Pride Rock as well. Vitani and her cubs couldn't run across the pridelands, they would never make it. In a panic, Vitani picked up her cubs, threw them onto her back and did one of the worst things she could have done in this situation, she fled behind a tree.
Everyone had to take cover during a thunderstorm. Too many animals recently were being struck and killed. Just in case of anymore deaths, they would take cover.

Nira, none the wiser, ran under a small cave – like rock where he was covered. Kovu stood up to follow, but stopped. He gazed upon the clouds in awe. Oddly enough, very strangely, a familiar voice began to chant his name in that all too familiar cold and vicious voice. As he stared into the black storm clouds Kovu squinted his eyes and then they widened when he could see a cloud shaped exactly like his adopted father. Scar's cloud did nothing but just look forward.

"No..." He exhaled. "No...this isn't happening..."
"Dad!" The small cub screeched. "Dad get over here!"
Kovu's earlier premonition showed signs to this event. His deadly replay was about to happen. He did nothing but watch the clouds continue to brew up. A flicker of light simmered across the sky followed by a bash of a thunder drum. Kovu's vision, within a matter of seconds alarmingly came to life as a magnificent but highly deadly lightning bolt freed itself from the dark skies and shot directly at the oasis that Vitani was at. A blood-curdling scream was heard before bitter silence.

After a complete silence for a minute, all lions doing nothing on hearing the echoed scream from Vitani, Simba threw himself up, followed by Kiara, collecting Nira and Kovu along the way, dashed to save Vitani. Kovu's fear extended throughout his entire body, assuming Vitani was dead.

The thunderstorm continued to brew as they arrived. Vitani was cradling Kamba while Shemba shrieked in her small voice. Both Vitani and Shemba were unaffected however, the small black cub had been shot by the lightning. Kamba lay in a small curl, motionless.

"Kamba? Kamba!" Vitani yelled as she frantically prodded and pushed him desperately attempting to revive her adopted son. No luck. A circle formed around Vitani and the dying cub. Attention drawn to the potentially dead cub.

"Kamba!" Shemba also bellowed. "Don't play tricks on me! He's just sleepy right ma?"
"Shut up Shemba! I'm thinking..." Vitani shouted.

"There's no time to think," Simba spat. "Get him to Pride Rock. Move, now!".
Following orders, Vitani shoved Kamba on her back, allowing Shemba to climb up. Without second thoughts they dashed back to Pride Rock. Shemba continued to attempt to wake her unconscious brother but still no response. The storm was continuing as they all frantically ran back. Nira was unable to keep up with the faster lions.

"Dad!" He shouted. "Dad, help!" Suddenly Nira slipped on the wet grass. Straight away another lightning bolt began to brew.
"Nira!" Kovu shouted as he skidded to a halt. His head swivelled around to see his son struggling up, and above him the cloud ready to shoot another lightning bolt.

"Nira! No!" The black lion dashed back and dragged his son out of the way of the lightning bolt that flew from the sky and exploded on the ground, sending sparks. Kovu and Nira had just cheated death. But without thinking about it Kovu pulled his son up on his back and caught up with the others, arriving safely at Pride Rock.

Kovu and Nira entered the cave unharmed as Vitani dropped the still motionless Kamba to the floor. Zazu flew in, feathers dripping only to see the potential death. Upon hearing the commotion, Pumbaa galloped over alongside Timon.

"What happened?" Timon spluttered.
"What, you can't guess?" Kiara replied.
"Well, is he dead?" Pumbaa asked.
"We don't know, that's what we're trying to work out."

Silence invaded the room. No one said a word as they stared down at the motionless black cub. Shemba cautiously stepped forward, panicking and frightened she was going to have no family left, screeched his name.
"Kamba!"

No response from the cub. The worst assumption was thrown into everyone's mind; he's dead. Shemba prodded him a little more, then felt for his heart. Very, very little beating from it.
"Kamba, you said you were gonna stay with me!" Shemba sobbed at the potential death. "You said you were gonna stick by me, why didn't you!"

After Shemba started weeping Kamba coughed, gagged and choked before opening his eyes. Not only was there a collective sigh of relief from everyone, but the vibe in the room wasn't relief: he still might not survive. But the feeling of doubt superseded when the cub sat up and wailed over his sister.

"Please don't let that happen again." He sobbed. Shemba sighed in relief and cradled her brother.

Everyone was safe. The Pridelands remained empty as the majestic storm raged on throughout the day. There was no one in the lands, it was dead. Trees swayed and fell in the violent stormy conditions and lightning continued to free itself from the clouds.

Later on in the day, the storm hadn't ceased. Vitani was sat with her two adopted cubs, nursing them and still trying to relax them. It had frightened them directly in the centre. Kiara was sat on the other side of the cavern, playing with Nira, tripping him up as they laughed together. She had forgiven her father, there was no point in staying angry. Kovu stopped staring outside at the violent storm and walked over to his sister.

"Vitani," He started. "Remember Nira's ceremony?"
"How could I forget?" Vitani replied, not looking up.
"Well, one of the visions I had that day, it-it happened today."

Vitani's attention was drawn to what her adopted brother had just said. She didn't want to believe it, but he was right. The premonitions were going to happen, there was nothing they could do about it. The only thing that Kovu could think was the safety of the others was at risk, the truth digging deeper than ever before.

The storm didn't stop throughout the day, for the first time in almost two years, Vitani had to sleep in Pride Rock. No one really slept that night, however, they instead watched natures light show that didn't clear until about dawn.


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