The Pride Lands – Part 2
I'm sorry this took so long to update. I've been stressing over geography coursework. If any of you are considering doing geography for GCSE, be prepared. See, that was even a Lion King reference! That's all I have to say.
I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or Kingdom Hearts, savvy? On with the story!
When night falls I find myself sitting on a grassy hill top with Simba, watching Kovu and Kiara snuggle up together. They've sure come a long way from being caught in that fire. Simba doesn't look happy or comfortable.
"I feel so lost. Kovu is one of them. How can I accept him?"
"Simba, if there's anything I've learnt from my travels, it's that allies can come from the most unlikely places, and the ones who hate you the most can turn out to be your greatest assets."
"You sound like you've had a lot of experience."
"Trust me, I have. One of my friends, called Knuckles, kept trying to kill me when I first met him. We're good friends now. We just had to learn to trust each other. You'd get on with him: you're both stubborn mules."
"Kovu hasn't given me any reason to trust him."
"And you haven't given him any reason to trust you. Trust is a two way street, y'know?"
"Hmph."
"So, what were you doing before I got here?"
"Seeking guidance from the kings of the past," he mumbles, expecting me to laugh at him.
"I've heard stranger things before. Did they help?"
He turns to the sky, melancholy emotions streaked across his face.
"Silent as stars. My father-"
"I don't know you very well, so I suppose I'm not one to judge, but it sounds like you're trying to walk down the path of your father. You need to find your own path and be the king you're meant to be, instead of the king your father was."
"Sora told me exactly the same thing."
"Maybe you should listen. Try to get to know Kovu, and perhaps you'll see what he's really like. Besides, your daughter approves, so why shouldn't you?"
I leave Simba to mull my words of wisdom over. It doesn't happen very often, so he should be grateful! He doesn't get to see Kovu trying to plod off on his own, only to be stopped by a crazy baboon. I smirk to myself, glad that my camouflage keeps me hidden.
"So, how'd it go?" asks Donald, popping out from behind a leaf.
"Do you two always follow me around?"
"We're supposed to stick with you, so yeah, I guess!" exclaims Goofy popping up from behind another leaf. Their form of camouflage isn't as cool as mine.
"Did you and Simba make amends?"
"I think so. He's worried about Kiara and Kovu," I explain as we start to make our way back to Pride Rock.
"I don't blame him. Kovu's just got something about him that I don't like!"
"Donald..."
"A-hyuk, you're being mighty stubborn! She's happy, and that's good enough for me."
"Well..."
"Lighten up. Kovu's a great guy. Simba just doesn't see that yet."
When we get back to Pride Rock all the lionesses and Simba are asleep, so I don't think I'll be sleeping outside tonight. Donald, Goofy and I muscle our way into a spot and curl up for the night. Except Donald, who can just fly up to a perch and sleep there. I find if I wrap my tail around my nose it keeps it warm. Now, if only those two lions out there could stop singing about 'upendi' I could get some sleep.
The next morning the same two lions wake me up! I growl quietly and stretch my legs. They've gotten stiff in the night. The morning air is crisp with dew and something else a little more tangible, like dread. Someone must be worried. I crack my eyes open to see Kiara, Kovu and Simba talking at the cave mouth. Kovu looks like he's despairing. Now I know where the dread is coming from. Simba and Kovu leave, while Kiara stands there looking like a lost puppy.
"What's going on Kiara?" I ask once I'm sure they're out of earshot. Wouldn't want to spoil the moment.
"Daddy wants to talk to Kovu. I think he's finally getting to know him better!"
"I sure hope so... You want me to follow them, right?"
"How did you guess?!"
"I have my ways. Hey, you two, get up!"
Donald and Goofy stumble around in the dark of the cave, emerging with bags under their eyes. They blink a few times before comprehending that I'm here.
"What's... up?"
"Kiara wants us to follow Simba and Kovu."
"Just... give me a second," yawns Donald. Kiara and I shake our heads in exasperation. I give them a few moments to wake up before trotting out of the cave, hot on the tail of the two lions. It's amazing how much they smell now with my more sensitive nose. It doesn't take us long to track them down, talking to each other in low voices.
"Scar couldn't let go of his hate and in the end it destroyed him."
"I've never heard the story of Scar that way. He truly was a killer."
"Who on Earth is Scar?" I whisper, sort of breaking the mood.
"Scar was a mean old lion that killed Simba's father and took over the Pride Lands. He turned into a Heartless but Sora and Simba defeated him."
"Doesn't sound like the nicest guy."
"Fire is a killer," says Simba. "Sometimes what's left behind can grow better than a generation before. If given the chance."
Low thunderous laughing sweeps across the plains, startling Simba and Kovu. A mixture of lions and Heartless emerge out of the fog, their teeth and claws bared, poised to strike. It's a good thing we're here after all. We stay hidden, though. We don't want to spark an unnecessary fight.
"Why, Simba!" says one of the older looking lionesses. "What are you doing out here and so... alone?"
The lions start laughing to themselves. The Heartless just remains as expressionless as ever.
"Well done, Kovu. Just like we always planned."
Simba gives Kovu a shocked look. If he could see us we'd all be doing the same.
"No! I didn't have anything to do with this!" yells Kovu, grasping at straws. Simba doesn't look convinced. The lioness gives the order to attack, and the lions and Heartless leap forward, their momentum carrying them at astonishing speeds. Kovu tries to stop them, but he's knocked out. Simba ends up being thrown off the side of a cliff, the other lions scraping their way down to kill him.
Not on my watch, they're not.
We leap into action, obliterating the Heartless first. Simba looks surprised and happy to see us. We clobber a few lions on the head on the way down, skidding to a halt next to Simba, who is struggling to stay upright. We make a hasty retreat before the lions can claw our faces off.
We run for a few moments before we're forced to stop. The debris from the fire has built up to create a huge barricade halting our escape. Why does this always happen?! The lions are gaining on us, so we climb hastily up the logs. The lions don't follow, as Goofy is knocking loose debris down to their level.
Kovu appears at the top of the barricade. The lioness calls out to him to kill Simba, but he doesn't have that sort of look in his eyes. Still, instead of helping pull us to safety he runs off like a coward and is of no help whatsoever, little so-and-so.
One of the crazier-looking lions starts to climb up the debris towards us. Simba struggles to pull himself higher, so Donald and Goofy help him, leaving me with the psycho.
"This is my moment of glory! Don't interfere or I'll cut you down too!"
"Not too likely."
He roars angrily, having reached his emotional peak, and swipes at me. I'm too busy trying not to fall to dodge it, and his claws scrape across the skin on my muzzle. I can taste and smell blood in my mouth. Growling myself, I momentarily forget about the Keyblades and succumb to my primal instincts, clawing at him myself. He loses his balance and falls, being buried beneath the logs. I don't know if he's dead or not, and I don't want to find out. I force myself up the barrier and run for my life.
If he is dead, they're going to be so angry!
I catch up with Simba and the others very quickly, seeing as I move about twenty times faster than them at my quickest. Simba's limping badly, and everyone looks exhausted. I'd stop to heal him with my new spell, but I don't know how badly it'll affect me. I don't want to get stranded out here when they can barely carry themselves, let alone me.
"Daddy!" screams Kiara charging down a hill to meet us. "What happened?"
"Talk to us, guys," says Timon and Pumbaa, having also just arrived on the scene.
"Kovu. Ambush..."
Simba faints, the strain of the day becoming too much on him.
"We can't carry him back. He's too heavy," says Pumbaa with reluctance.
"Can you carry me?" I ask.
"Why would we need to carry you?"
"Just in case."
I reach down into myself and draw on the Chaos Energy within me. It's harder seeing as I'm not wearing my Chaos-infused clothes anymore. I will it to heal Simba and wake him up, and let it go. His wounds stitch themselves together, and his skin regains colour. His eyes flutter open gently, coming around. That happened much faster than I thought it would. He sways to his feet, pawing the ground tenderly. He still looks exhausted. I pour more energy into him, feeding his strained muscles until they're almost back to full health.
I collapse as soon as I'm done.
...
"... Daddy... Can't be true..."
"It's Kovu..."
"... Traitor..."
I blink sleepily. I must've poured too much energy into that spell. I should've listened to Merlin when he said I need more control. My whole body hurts, and I don't have the Chaos Energy left to make it better. I need more. More Chaos Emeralds. I wearily raise my head, feeling a wing and a leg help it up.
"Glad to see you're awake," says Donald.
"What happened?"
"You passed out after overdoing your spell. Pumbaa carried you back here on his back."
"Really? I'll have to thank him later, when I can stand up."
The animals have all gathered at Pride Rock. They all look disgusted at a lone figure skulking through the crowd. It's Kovu, now with a scar on his face. The name Kovu, meaning 'scar', never suited him better than until now. He stands modestly at the base of Pride Rock, looking up at Simba and Kiara.
"Why have you come back?" Simba demands, the epitome of rage.
"Simba, I had nothing to do with it," Kovu pleads. I almost believe him.
"You don't belong here!"
"Please, I ask your forgiveness."
"Daddy, please. Listen to him..."
"Silence!" he roars, his betrayal even winning out over the voice of his own daughter. "When you first came here you asked for judgement, and I pass it now! Exile!"
And Kovu gets exiled for the second time in his life.
All the animals start pounding their feet on the ground, sending up choking dust into the air. Kiara despairs, and has to be restrained by the other lionesses. The animals start pecking Kovu and throwing stuff at him until he flees in shame. It's an awful sight: one which I never have to see again. I wouldn't even wish it on Eggman.
Kiara and Simba start arguing. I turn my head away, folding my ears in. I don't want to hear.
"Nothing like this has ever happen to us before," whispers Goofy, his usually cheery demeanour gone. "We always managed to make everything right."
"It seems like we've done it all wrong."
"You're forgetting Ant Island, you two," I say, trying to reassure them. "Things looked like they we're going down the toilet, but they turned out OK."
"It didn't turn out OK!" spits Donald. "We thought you'd died!"
"I've already died before. I'm not going down that road anytime soon. I just fear for Kovu."
"Well, I don't! Good riddance, I say!"
"I don't believe for one second that he meant any harm. I just hope everyone else will see that too, before it's too late."
Kiara charges past and into the cave, weeping sorrowfully. I think it's more than just Kovu now. Whatever Simba said, he's not going about this the right way, but he's in too foul a mood for him to understand. Everyone disperses, tension hanging in the air.
By nightfall it becomes apparent that Kiara's ran away.
The cave is full of pacing lions and a meerkat and warthog. The rain falls heavily outside, further darkening everyone's moods. The stupid hornbill flies in and proclaims that the outsiders have come to eat our brains. Or something like that.
"Simba, we'll fight them off," I offer heroically.
"... No. Find Kiara. We'll assemble the lionesses. Move!"
Adhering to his wishes, we charge out into the pouring rain. She could be anywhere. Donald takes to the skies to give us a better chance at finding her, while Goofy and I search the ground. I'm gonna give this princess such a whooping when I find her!
We find them just in time too.
I can hear the sounds of war echoing across the savannah from here! Kiara and Kovu are already on their way back.
"What's going on, Sonic?"
"The prides are at war! You have to come back!"
They go without a moment's hesitation.
"What's the plan?"
"Don't have one! We're making it up as we go along!"
We charge into the middle of the battle. Our mere presence scares some of them off. We've obviously made a lasting impression on them. Most of them are all converging on Simba, trying to tear his throat out. A few well aimed Thunders courtesy of Donald take care of them. The head lioness whips her head around to see who dares try and stop her.
"You again," she growls. "You killed my son."
"If he hadn't tried to be clever and come after me, he'd still be alive. It was his doing."
This angers her more. I'm not very good at calming people down.
"So, you're Sora? We were warned about you by an outsider even to us who said he knew Scar. We were told you'd get in our way, and he was right!"
"What was his name?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
She takes a lunge at me, completely forgetting about Simba for the time being. I move out of her way in plenty of time. The other lions stop fighting each other and come to watch the showdown between her and me. Even Donald and Goofy back off. I don't blame them: I'm sure I can see her foaming at the mouth.
We circle around each other, waiting for the other to attack. I'm outweighed in everything but speed and Chaos Energy here, which I'm already low on, so I'll have to rely on a bit of both if I'm going to manage. She raises her hand to strike me down...
But is stopped.
Kiara and Kovu leap into the middle of the fight, each holding us off.
"Kovu, move," orders the lioness. Zira, I think her name was. 'Hate'. It suits her.
"Stand aside," also orders Simba from behind me.
"Daddy, this has to stop."
"You're even weaker than I thought," bites Zira. "Get out of the way!"
"You'll never hurt Kiara, or Simba, or Sonic. Not while I'm here," retaliates Kovu. It touches me how he wants to protect me too.
"Stay out of this!" growls Simba.
"A wise king once told me 'we are one'. I didn't understand back then, but now I do. Them? Us? Look at them! They are us! What differences do you see?"
She makes a good point. Suddenly the fighting spirit isn't so strong anymore. Simba and Kiara hug, while I rest my sore butt for a moment. Zira tries to get Vitani to attack, but she refuses. She doesn't want to fight anymore, and I don't think anyone else does either. Only Zira.
"If you will not fight, then you will die as well."
This ultimatum doesn't change anything. Her entire pride leaves her for Simba.
"Enough, Zira. Let us put the past behind us," reasons Simba.
"I shall never let it go. This is for you, Scar!"
She leaps at Simba aiming to take his head off. I meet her leap before she can get anywhere near him, carrying us both off the edge of Pride Rock. The rocks scrape the skin off my back on the way down. I can hear Simba leaping down the bank to catch us. We both dangle above a huge chasm at least one hundred feet tall. And if that wasn't enough, there's a river at the bottom. It's either be dashed to pieces or drown. What a day.
I look up to see Simba clawing his way down, yelling something about a river. I look to my right, and instantly wish I hadn't. There's a huge tidal wave heading this way. How do these things keep happening to me?! I feel a well aimed paw slash quickly across my foot, shedding fresh rubies of blood. Zira's still trying to kill me after all this.
"You killed my son! I'll drag you to hell with me!"
She climbs higher up the ledge, digging her claws into the rock. She has a frenzied look in her eyes that chills me to the bone. I can't pull myself up: I'm still too weak after passing out. Simba gets closer and closer each second, but so does Zira. She takes a swipe at me, clawing my thigh open and holding on for dear life.
She also loses her grip.
We're both dragged down into the chasm, the tidal wave smacking into us full force. I battle with the raging waters, and manage to get my head above water. Simba get's further and further away as I'm carried by the river. I can see him running to keep up, but to no avail.
Zira lurches out of the water and digs her claws into my head. My scream is swallowed as I go under again, choking with the water. I summon the Kingdom key and twist my body, cutting my head but knocking Zira off. She screams in rage before falling off me and into the water.
I take the opportunity to dig the Keyblade into the rock, stopping my travels in their tracks. Simba is getting closer now that I'm not going anywhere, but he's still so far away, and my grip on the Kingdom Key is slipping. Zira shoots out of the water, gasping for breath, all thought to kill me forgotten in the fear for her life. She claws at the side of the chasm, about ten feet in front of me, trying to get a grip to pull herself back up.
Now Donald and Goofy have joined the race. Donald flies over head, shooting magic at Zira to get her away from me, while Goofy has joined Simba in descending down the cavern. Zira's grip scratches away and she knocks into me, sending us both flying. We dip below the surface again, and this time don't come up. We've been caught in a riptide, dragging us mercilessly through the water.
I have to Chaos Control out of here.
Only, the Chaos Energy has dwindled ever since I healed Simba. Still, I don't really have a choice. I pull on any Chaos Energy I can find, feeling the pale warmth fill me up. It's so weak: I don't know if I can do it. I will for there to be some Chaos Energy somewhere that I can use, and activate Chaos Control.
The waters bubble and churn with more energy than is natural, and I feel like I'm being sucked through a plug hole. The Chaos Energy isn't strong enough, and it's sucking me dry. I can already feel the darkness swooping in to steal my heart at its weakest. There's a slight surge of Chaos Energy from somewhere, and I grab on and pull with all the strength I've got left. I do not want to become the thing I've been fighting against!
We lurch to one side like a new pipe's been opened. I can feel Donald's magic pulling on my insides as we travel faster and faster. We must be going pretty far away. Oops. Looks like Zira's come along for the ride as well. I don't know how she'll take Chaos Control if she's never done it before.
I guess now's a good chance to find out.
We break through an invisible barrier and crash to a stop. I hear the sound of a waterfall before descending back into darkness.