Chapter Twenty-Two: Return of the Moon

TRON0602: Holy… you booked him a L'Oreal Commercial…LOL *falls to the floor in a fit of laughter, just to have TRON hit me in the head.* You shouldn't have done that! *tackles TRON while the L'Oreal Commercial plays through, and Kamaria appears* While TRON and Chin are fighting… Hafsa, you'll find love. You'll be okay. And Kali, I'm sure if you read on, you'll see all will be okay. Oh, and Maji, you forgot to say "LOREAL! Because you're worth it." Chin might be posting that meme to her deviantART… *Kamaria looks over to see Chin drawing Maji for the L'Oreal Commercial* Lol, enjoy the chapter.

CSIMentalistTLK Lover: Yes, he's back, and that has to be the best for him. A lot of cubs have been born, yes… but I like that the new generation is here now :) and yes, it appears that Kali is both Enye and Zirali's father, but since Zirali is orange, I can believe that it would be hard for Usafi to assume the worse, which is why Ashaki adopted her so she could suckle from her. Enjoy the chapter.

Keep Calm and Join Team Loki: It's just fine, I understand schoolwork can be hard. As for the song I used last chapter, that would be Phillip Phillip's "Home." Enjoy the new chapter.

Guest: It was a sweet chapter, and yes, it is sad the story's about done, but… I'm okay with it. Enjoy the chapter.

Whoa it's fandoms: Thank you and enjoy the chapter :)

Kamaria woke, very satisfied, the next morning, her daughter at her mate's side, and her son at hers. The Crown Princess looked to Kivuli with a smile, and then stood up gently, her son automatically nuzzling up to his sister. Kamaria smiled more, and then heard voices far off. She nuzzled Kivuli awake.

"What is it?" Kivuli whispered, looking up at his mate.

"I'm going for a walk. Make sure to tell Garuda and Jawanga that if they wake." Kamaria whispered. Kivuli nodded.

"Of course. Be careful." He whispered as he nuzzled her. Kamaria smiled.

"I will be." The Crown Princess left her family and followed the voices with her keen ears, eventually coming upon her mother with Kazai, Chinja, Muujiza, and Tojo.

"What do you mean the Peaklanders have been hindering Kibuluu's Pride?" Ashaki asked Kazai.

"Small attacks. Just one or two killed at a time, but the leaders have been killed all except Kibuluu and Kiara." Kazai said.

"What about Kovu? I mean, he's a leader too, isn't he?" Tojo asked.

"Kovu was killed. I saw it happen." Chinja said.

"You didn't do it yourself?" Muujiza asked.

"I didn't, only because of Kivuli did it for me. He even said he killed him to protect Kamaria and Chaka." Chinja said. A light smile played on Kamaria's face as she hid in the grass.

"Don't get me wrong, that is a good thing, but does anybody know?" Ashaki asked.

"Mwenzi does now." Chinja said.

"You're kidding, she knows about him being dead?" Muujiza asked.

"It's unfortunate, but yes." Chinja said.

"That means we have to attack sooner, doesn't it? We have to take down Kibuluu once and for all?" Kazai asked.

"We do. We have to try." Ashaki said.

"I don't like this." Tojo said.

"Neither do I, but do we have a choice? We have eight cubs that could be killed. I wouldn't put it past Kibuluu to kill his own daughter or his grandchildren because they've been 'corrupted' in his eyes." Muujiza said. Kamaria grimaced. Her children were his grandchildren, but… no he wouldn't lay a paw on them.

"I know this'll be hard, but I've seen you guys train. You are ready. We leave the cubs with the younger lionesses and the older ones then we go." Kazai said.

"Which means I want Kamaria to stay behind." Ashaki said.

"I'm not staying behind." Kamaria emerged from her hiding place, her scar burning. She looked to her mother, grandfather, uncle, then to Kazai and Chinja.

"'Ria, this will be hard and…" Muujiza began.

"I don't care. My children are Kibuluu's grandchildren. I won't allow him to lay a paw on them. I have to go. I've been training, too. I want to do this. I want to fight." Kamaria said. Ashaki saw the resolve in Kamaria's eyes.

"No doubt Kivuli will want to go too. He's been helping us bring down his father in the past year." Chinja said.

"What about Garuda and Jawanga?" Tojo asked Kamaria.

"Chaka will take care of them just fine. He adores them and they adore him. I'll come back to my children, one way or the other." Kamaria said. Ashaki sighed.

"There's no changing your mind." She said softly. Kamaria looked at her mother and smiled.

"No way in hell." The Crown Princess said. Ashaki smiled as well.

"There we have it, we'll rally the lionesses and take the fight to Kibuluu." Kazai said.

"On one condition." Kamaria said.

"What's that?" Muujiza asked his niece.

"Kibuluu is mine. He manipulated Kiara and had her seduce Da—Kovu; he stole my father from me. I won't let him get away with that." Kamaria said.

"I'm sure you'll be fighting Kivuli for that, but I'll let you two settle that amongst yourselves." Chinja smiled. Kamaria nodded.

"It's settled. We attack tonight." Kazai said.

*+-/_\-+*

Mwenzi turned to her grandfather, who had a look of disdain on his face.

"You mean Kivuli's alive?" He demanded. Kiara looked to her daughter.

"Sweetie, are you sure?" Kiara asked. Mwenzi nodded.

"I saw him with my own eyes. He left to warn the Pridelanders. I'm sure they'll attack." Mwenzi said.

"Probably within the week." Kibuluu said. Kiara looked to her father.

"My own brother killed my mate. Kivuli's tainted." Kiara said.

"No doubt, so is Usafi's child." Kibuluu said.

"We've lost many lionesses. Our numbers are low now. What do we do?" Kiara asked.

"We have as many lionesses as the Pridelanders do. We'll manage fine. It's time to wipe the face of Tama from the earth." Kibuluu said.

"We'll avenge Kula, and Kovu." Kiara said. Kibuluu nodded.

"The time has come." Kibuluu said softly.

*+-/_\-+*

Kamaria had gone back to Kivuli, and no matter how much time she wanted to spend with him, she told him that he needed to get to know Jawanga and Garuda, so he should take the day to spend with them alone. Jawanga and Garuda had protested, as had Kivuli, but Kamaria only smiled.

"I'll be seeing enough of you tonight, so please, spend time with them." She said. Kivuli had given in. Kamaria then had left for the waterfall deep in the jungle. She arrived, seeing the water settle perfectly and sighed.

"That doesn't sound like a happy sigh." Tama said. Kamaria turned to her deceased grandmother, a little surprised.

"It isn't. The time to fight has come. I don't know… I don't know if I'm strong enough." Kamaria said. Tama smiled.

"Self doubt is the number one killer, so remember that." Tama said.

"It's hard not to doubt. Kibuluu's strong, so is Kiara." Kamaria whispered.

"And so are you." Tama said.

"I… I don't know." Kamaria said, dropping her gaze.

"Have you forgotten?" Tama asked.

"Forgotten what?" Kamaria asked, looking back up. A golden light surrounded the Savior Queen.

"Who you are. You have forgotten who you are, Kamaria. You are more than this. You are so much more than what you have become, sweetheart. You are our vessel, you are the Princess to End All Wars. You and Kivuli, together, will only end this. You have to take your place in the Circle of Life." Tama said.

"How can I? I'm scared to do this. I'm not some sort of puppet." Kamaria said, tears filling her eyes.

"Let me tell you something my father told me what I was scared. Remember who you are. You are my granddaughter, you are strong. You will succeed. The Great Queens of the Past are all behind you. We're channeling our strength to you. We need you. Your pride, your children, they need you." Tama whispered.

"I can't, I-I…" Kamaria sobbed.

"You have power like the moon. Take that power, know your path. Remember who you are." Tama said. Kamaria looked into Tama's golden eyes, finding comfort in the grandmother she barely knew.

"Mom?" Ashaki asked. Kamaria and Tama turned to see the Queen standing there, electric blue eyes shocked. Tama smiled at her daughter.

"Your daughter needed courage, I had to help." Tama said. Ashaki had tears fill her eyes.

"You've always helped us. I'm glad you have." Ashaki said. Tama chuckled.

"Sweetie, don't cry. You have the Kings and Queens of the Past on your side," Tama turned to Kamaria, "right?"

Kamaria wiped her tears away and said, "Yes, we do. We always will."

Tama smiled and nuzzled Ashaki, then Kamaria, "I must be going, but know that I'm fighting with you." Tama disappeared, leaving her daughter and granddaughter alone together. Ashaki stepped next to her daughter.

"You're scared?" She asked.

"A little, but… I'm better now." Kamaria said. Ashaki smiled and held her daughter in a hug. Kamaria leaned into her mother.

"I'm glad that my mother has been helping you so much. I'm glad to know that she loves you though she barely knows you." The Queen said, her voice shaky. Tears fell out of Kamaria's eyes.

"I'm glad too. I… I never thought that I'd know much of her, now I understand how she felt when she faced Scar." Kamaria said softly. Ashaki nodded and held her daughter closer.

"It was the same fear I felt when I faced Kula. We're ending the Reign of Terror." Ashaki said. Kamaria looked at her mother.

"And ending all wars in the Pridelands." Kamaria said.

"We can hope." Ashaki said.

"No, I know we are." Kamaria said with a smile.

*+-/_\-+*

The Pridelanders moved back to Rafiki's tree at dusk, when the desert was most cool. Ashaki and Myota stood together, as did Kamaria and Kivuli, and Nurisha and Damu. The pride members fighting gathered around their Queen, King, Crown Princess, and Princess. Kali stood to the Royal Family's left with Usafi, Maji, and Hafsa. Tojo, Giza, Muujiza, Kazai, Chinja, and Kweli stood to the right of the main Royal Family.

"Tonight we take back what's ours. We will take down the bloodline deceiver." Ashaki announced. The pride roared in agreement.

"We are leaving the older and younger lionesses and lions here with the cubs. We will retrieve you once the fighting is done." Kazai said.

"We will not fail. We will succeed and take back our land, our ancestral home." Tojo said.

The moon began to rise, and Kamaria felt power surge through her. She looked to Kivuli, who smiled.

"We shall use the cover of night, and have the advantage. If you wish to fight for your families, your pride, your Royals, come with us!" Damu said, his voice powerful. The pride that was fighting roared in answer.

"Let's go." Ashaki said, turning towards the Pridelands, seeing Pride Rock in the distance. Myota nuzzled his mate. Kamaria stepped next to her mother.

"Mom, we can do this." Kamaria said. Ashaki beamed a smile at her daughter.

"I know we can." She said softly. The Royal Families of the Pridelands and the Moonlands moved out, the Pridelanders close behind them as they ran across the moonlit desert. Kamaria's heart sang as she stepped a foot in her lands. Her blue eyes had brightened under the moonlight, as had Kivuli's teal orbs. They looked to each other and smiled.

"The beckoning of the bloodline is calling us." Kivuli said.

"I hear the calling of the blood. I hear the moon screaming for me to fight." Kamaria admitted.

"The Queens of the Past blessed you, didn't they?" Kivuli asked. Kamaria nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"They blessed me too." He said softly.

*+-/_\-+*

"Kibuluu!" A tan lioness with green eyes cried. The False King woke up, his blue eyes alert.

"What is it, Leila?" Kibuluu asked.

"The Pridelanders. They're here. Their numbers are high." Leila said. Kibuluu growled.

"I see. They're attacking sooner," Kibuluu nuzzled Kiara awake, "rally the lionesses. We're at war." He said.

*+-/_\-+*

Ashaki roared just beyond Pride Rock, calling her challenge. A roar answered her, as did small figures emerging from Pride Rock coming towards them. Kali looked to his new ally.

"My blood is warm at the thought of war." Kali said.

"Mine is, too." Ashaki said.

"We're not that different, you and I." Kali said.

"We aren't at all. We both love Nurisha, we both want what's best for her. And we both want to take down Kibuluu." Ashaki said.

Kali smiled and said, "Then should we both emerge from this fight, I promise you something."

"What's that?" Ashaki asked.

"Nurisha is the rightful ruler of the Moonlands. Her mother was to be Queen, until her father was usurped. I'll give her the lessons Mpenzi gave me. Same with Damu." Kali said.

"I'd like that." Ashaki said.

"Here they come!" Nurisha cried. Ashaki roared softly, and moved her pride towards Kibuluu's.

A/N: And the final battle hath begun! Who will win, the Moonlanders, under Kibuluu, or the Pridelanders, lead by both Kali and Ashaki? Review and stay tuned!