Chapter Nineteen: Unexpected Surprise
TRON0602: Sorry Maji, I tried. BTW you weren't cuddling with Nadra. You were cuddling with Nala. Enjoy the chapter
Guest: It is sweet isn't it? Love finds light in the darkest of times. Enjoy the chapter.
A random person: Thank you so much for those kind words, I really do appreciate it :) Yesh, Tojo made a cameo, no speaking, but such a little bit that… Yes, it works for me. No problem for the good chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one just as much.
CSIMentalistTLK Lover: It was so sweet to have them find love where Muujiza's parents did, I believe so. Enjoy the chapter, my friend.
Whoa it's fandoms: Really now? That's awesome! I had to learn that song on the flute when I was a sophomore in high school :) enjoy the chapter.
A month had passed since the Pridelanders had been exiled from their home. Kamaria's pregnancy had progressed well, and her stomach was now very large, showing the signs of a late term, but not quite due. Ashaki now stayed closer to her eldest daughter, in case she went into labor. Nala, too, stayed with Ashaki and Kamaria.
Usafi and Hafsa still hadn't been fully accepted into the pride, and in fact, Nurisha kept her distance from her long-lost aunt and half-sister. She wanted nothing to do with Hafsa or Usafi, despite their blood ties. Nurisha instead chose to spend more time with Tojo and Damu, shoving the fact she wanted nothing from Usafi and Hafsa in their faces.
Hafsa was just fine with Nurisha not wanting to be near her. In fact, the silver lioness grew a dislike for the white-pelted Princess much to Usafi's chagrin. Hafsa instead spent time with Usafi or alone, not wanting to be near many others.
Usafi, on the other hand, had received hard news. She was, in fact, pregnant. The dark pink lioness felt fear strike her heart when she heard it from the mandrill shaman and his apprentice. She couldn't be pregnant, not now. She had to help train the Pridelanders, not sit back and let Ashaki and Myota do all the work. She wanted to help train the Pridelanders, and it wasn't possible for her.
But in that second, Usafi sat alongside Ashaki and Kamaria, the three lionesses watching the now month-old Tufani and Malaika for Thelugi while the creamy lioness took a walk. Malaika had proved a robust young cub, and had a particular fondness for Kamaria. Tufani, on the other hand, was quiet and serene, and slept soundly in Usafi's arms.
"These two are just adorable. Thelugi did a great job." Ashaki said with a smile.
"She did. Tufani here just seems like the perfect little boy." Usafi chuckled. Malaika, who was alongside Kamaria, batted at the Crown Princess's nose and mewled. Kamaria leaned down and nuzzled Malaika.
"It's just a little unfortunate that their father was only a rogue." Kamaria said. Ashaki nodded.
"Well, if you think about it honey, your father can be considered only a rogue now." Ashaki said. Kamaria grimaced and glared at her mother.
"He's not my father. Blood may be thicker than water, but the spirit is more binding than the blood." The Crown Princess said. Ashaki leveled her daughter's glare.
"'Ria…" The Queen warned. Kamaria sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry. Kovu's just… not my father. Blood doesn't make a father."
"You're damned right about that." Myota appeared, Jua and Chaka at his side. Chaka, now six months old, ran for his mother's open arms and snuggled in despite his growing size. Jua followed her stepbrother and settled in next to her stepmother.
"It's the same thing for the mother. But, birth doesn't make a mother." Jua said. Ashaki smiled and nuzzled both Jua and Chaka. Jua had embraced the Queen as her mother, and Ashaki had brought Jua in as her daughter gratefully. Chaka also had become quite fond of Jua as his older sister, and Myota had cheerfully welcomed Chaka as a son. Myota stepped next to Kamaria, nuzzling his stepdaughter.
"Kovu tried killing you twice. He attempted to kill Chaka once. He's not your father." Myota said. Kamaria smiled and leaned into her stepfather's nuzzle.
"Thank you." She whispered. Jua jabbed Kamaria in the elbow.
"Hey, it's not a problem." Jua said.
"We're all a family, now." Ashaki said. Kamaria felt tears in her eyes and laughed.
"Hey look! Tears! Aw, 'Ria!" Jua said. Malaika mewled in agreement. Kamaria glared at Jua.
"Jua!" Kamaria said.
"C'mon, you've hardly had any pregnancy mood swings, sweetie." Myota said. Kamaria blushed beneath her fur and laughed. The area filled with laughter and happy mewls of the two cubs with them, making everything seem so joyous and light. Kamaria then felt a jab of pain in her ribs. The cub inside her was kicking up a storm. She grimaced in pain.
"Ow…" Kamaria complained. Ashaki immediately stopped laughing and looked at her daughter.
"What's wrong?" Ashaki asked.
"The cub just kicked me in the ribs." Kamaria shut an eye in pain as the kicks kept coming. Malaika's little head moved a bit after a kick from the cub in Kamaria's womb.
"Seems the cub inherits that from their mother." Ashaki said with a smile.
"Really?" The Crown Princess asked. The Queen nodded.
"And their Uncle Chaka." Ashaki gave a look to her son, who smiled sheepishly. Another sharp jab from her womb made Kamaria jump and wince. Usafi brought Malaika next to her, despite the young cub's mewls of disappointment. Tufani looked happy to be next to his sister, but Malaika wasn't having much of anything. She didn't want to sleep.
Kamaria stood up to hope to walk off the pain, however, upon standing, she felt a gush of water run down her legs. Her eyes widened, as did Ashaki and Myota's. The Crown Princess found another place close by where she had been to lay flat out on her side calmly, despite the cub inside her kicking up a storm and her womb convulsing. Jua and Usafi both immediately stood, taking Malaika and Tufani away from the area. Chaka watched Kamaria, fear in his electric blue eyes.
"Mom?" Chaka asked.
"Go with Jua, son." Myota said softly. Chaka looked from Ashaki to Myota. Ashaki nodded.
"Kamaria just is having a baby, sweetie. It's okay, she'll be fine. Go on." Ashaki encouraged. Chaka shook his head adamantly.
"No. I'm staying here with 'Ria!" Chaka said. Kamaria looked to her little brother.
"Chaka… are you sure?" She asked. Chaka nodded and sat down.
"I'm not leaving you, sis." Chaka said. Ashaki and Myota looked slightly amazed, but smiled.
"If that is what you wish." Ashaki said. Ashaki placed herself at her daughter's hindquarters, while Myota and Chaka stayed at Kamaria's head, making sure the Crown Princess was comfortable during labor.
*+-/_\-+*
Nurisha and Damu saw Usafi and Jua with Tufani and Malaika. Nurisha gazed at her aunt in confusion.
"What's going on?" Nurisha asked. Usafi set Tufani down and looked at Nurisha.
"Kamaria went into labor. Ashaki, Myota, and Chaka are with her, though." Usafi said. Damu and Nurisha looked at each other, then at Usafi and Jua.
"You two are just watching the area?" Damu asked. Jua nodded.
"Of course. Kamaria's my sister now, too." Jua said. Nurisha burst past the two lionesses, following their trail. Damu stayed with Usafi and Jua, looking at the two lionesses.
"Where's Hafsa, though?" Damu asked.
"I don't know. She went for a hunt early this morning." Usafi said.
"Should I go look for her?" Jua offered. Usafi smiled at Jua.
"Please." Usafi said. The golden lioness nuzzled Damu and went off to find the silver lioness as Damu brought Malaika closer to him.
"Hafsa's very capable, but she's made no friends, unfortunately." Usafi said.
"Well, Nurisha hasn't been too awful accepting of her sister." Damu said. Usafi sighed.
"I don't blame her, though. Really, I don't." The lioness said.
"Nurisha's stubborn. She may not be blood related to my sister, but she's just like Ashaki." Damu said. Usafi smiled then.
"She gets that from her father. Her blood father. Kali can be stubborn, as well. Seems that having white eyes causes that stubborn streak." Usafi said.
*+-/_\-+*
Kiara and Kovu were both lounging, Kiara's round belly showing her pregnancy. She was still only a month and a half pregnant, but Kiara showed like she was ready to pop any second. Kibuluu often prayed for a boy to have the Pridelands. Kiara did as well. Kovu, on the other hand, wanted a girl, that way Kali's brat Maji was kept in check.
Mwenzi had come to the Pridelands weeks earlier as well. Kibuluu had wanted to just marry Mwenzi and Maji, but Kiara said it was a bad match. As the weeks rolled on as well, Kibuluu saw why. Maji hated Mwenzi, and not only that, Mwenzi often wished Maji dead. So Kibuluu was searching for suitable males for Mwenzi, for she was, so far, his heiress. Unlike Scar, Kibuluu would take a suitable female as long as she had a suitable male.
Kiara found herself smiling. Mwenzi looked the most like Myota, yet she had inherited nothing of his personality. She had inherited her mother's personality, as well as her maternal grandfather's. Kovu nuzzled Kiara.
"What are you thinking about, my dear?" Kovu asked. Kiara smiled.
"Mwenzi's personality. It's a small blessing she thinks like us." Kiara said. Kovu nodded.
"That reminds me… Kibuluu may have found her a mate." Kovu said.
"Oh really now? That seems great for her. She needs someone to call hers." Kiara said. Kovu brought Kiara into a hug.
"Like I can call you mine?" Kovu asked, his dark emerald eyes looking into Kiara's ruby orbs. Kiara smiled devilishly.
"You know you have to wait until the cub is here, but…" Kiara licked Kovu's cheek. The two lions both leaned into each other a bit, but a pain in Kiara's abdomen made the lioness push Kovu away. Kovu gazed at Kiara in concern.
"Is it the baby?" He asked. Kiara nodded.
"Ow, ow, ow… GO GET MY FATHER!" Kiara screamed as pain flooded her being. The dusky gold lioness fell unconscious, though. Kovu couldn't leave Kiara's side. He settled at her rear end and saw that the cub had started crowning. Kovu began to panic.
Kiara had gone into premature labor.
*+-/_\-+*
"C'mon baby, push!" Ashaki encouraged her daughter. Kamaria pushed with all her being and a cub slid out perfectly and the Queen set her grandchild in the Crown Princess's arms. Kamaria rushed to clean the cub in her arms as Nurisha came onto the scene.
"Is Kamaria okay?" Nurisha asked as she huffed and puffed. Myota looked to Nurisha.
"She's fine." Myota said quietly. Kamaria cleaned her cub and smiled. The cub had the same light beige coat as her with a tinge of gold adorning it, freckles like its mother, and dark earrims like Ashaki. Kamaria smiled.
"It's a girl." She whispered as she brought her cub to her side to suckle.
"So I suppose that's Garuda, then?" Ashaki asked. Kamaria nodded.
"Of course it's Garuda. I promised Uncle Simba I'd name her that." Kamaria said with a smile. A little bit of pain came through the Crown Princess's body again and she laid flat out again. Ashaki looked down and saw another crowning cub.
"Another cub." Ashaki whispered. Kamaria nodded, being as calm as can be.
"Push, sis!" Chaka said. Kamaria groaned and pushed with all her being, another cub coming within a few seconds. This time, Ashaki cleaned the cub herself, and then set it in its mother's arms.
"It's a little boy." Ashaki said. Kamaria gazed at the light golden cub in her arms with dark earrims like his grandmother. He looked almost exactly like Amri, the only difference was he was so slightly darker than his father.
"They're so beautiful, both of them" Kamaria said, tears in her eyes. Chaka gazed at his sister.
"So, what are you naming him?" Nurisha asked, a smile on her face.
"Jawanga." Kamaria said as she set her son at her side, next to her daughter. She smiled at Garuda and Jawanga, a smile full of mother's love. Ashaki gazed at her newborn grandchildren.
"Welcome to the world, little ones." Ashaki whispered. Chaka stepped closer to the newborns.
"I promise, I'll protect you two." The six-month-old cub promised. Kamaria felt tears in her eyes, both happy and sad. Happy because Chaka had made the same promise to her children that she had made to him, and sad because Amri wasn't there to see their children born.
Myota and Nurisha smiled at Chaka, who lied next to his niece and nephew. Ashaki cleared her throat.
"It's time to inform the pride. The new heirs have been born." Ashaki said, her voice full of motherly and grandmotherly pride. Myota smiled.
"I'll do the honors. You stay here with y—I mean… our daughter. Come on, Chaka. Let's go." Myota said as he nuzzled Ashaki. Ashaki smiled and watched as her husband and son went to inform the pride of the new births, but she turned back to her newborn grandchildren quickly.
*+-/_\-+*
Kovu didn't have much of a choice when it came to Kiara being unconscious and being in labor. He had to stay with her to ensure the survival of the cub. Kiara's body instinctively pushed the cub out within a matter of minutes. Kovu saw the cub was breathing upon birth, but barely. He set the light golden brown cub at its mother's side, watching as it suckled a bit.
"Ok, now I have no choice. I have to go get help. Now." Kovu panicked. He nuzzled Kiara.
"I'll be back." Kovu said as he started running away. He didn't see that a grayish red lion appeared next to Kiara mere seconds later. Nuka settled his eyes on his sister-in-law's form, seeing the suffering the cub was enduring. His eyebrows furrowed. He could simply end the cub's life now… or he could try to save it. Nuka leaned next to the cub.
"Get a good meal, little one. I'll get you help as soon as you're done." Nuka promised it. Kiara stirred, glaring at Nuka.
"You!" Kiara snapped. Nuka growled and cuffed Kiara on the back of the head, sending her back into unconsciousness. He watched as the cub ate its fill and he went to lift the cub, finding it a girl.
"So you're a little girl, now? Hm… well…" Nuka began, "I guess I can name you. Mito. It fits you well. I like that. Little Mito. Come on now." Nuka lifted Mito by her scruff, immediately racing off into the distance, not looking back at the suffering new mother, who never would remember that it was he, Nuka, who had taken her premature child.
Nuka passed through the Pridelands to the desert beyond. He remembered his mother saying something of a jungle on the other side, and his heart somewhat pulled him towards that jungle. Not only that, he scented a pregnant lioness on the wind. That meant she was lactating and could care for little Mito.
He had no time to lose and the grayish red lion took off at full speed, following the pregnant lioness's scent.
A/N: So, three little cubs are born, we have Garuda and Jawanga by Kamaria, and Mito by Kovu and Kiara. I bet most of you were expecting Amri to make his return. Well, not quite, but Nuka is on his way to the jungle to save little Mito's life. He has an obligation to his niece, and maybe now he'll help raise her? Will he find Rikala again? And will Usafi or Kamaria take Mito in as their own? Review and stay tuned!