Chapter CXL: Divided, The Conflict Upon The Pridelands Part XVI
Gasping Kovu was breathless as he stopped and bowed his head. He had no idea how long he'd been running for or even where he was now, but there was one thing that was clear. The sun had set as the moon shone over him revealing that night had settled over the land.
The sounds of rage and hostility still preyed upon his mind as he remembered both the rejection of his own Pride and that of Simba's... it hurt inside. He was no longer trusted nor wanted by anyone anymore... he could never see Kiara or his friends ever again.
Turning he heard the sound of rippling water, looking he saw a large pool of clear blue water in the grey sandy wasteland he was now in and though he was terribly saddened, there was a thirst that needed to be quenched.
So walking to the water he lapped it up quickly refreshing himself but as he lifted his head again and looked at the shimmering surface he saw his exhausted reflection for a brief moment that showed his drained green eyes when suddenly he noticed the scar over his left eye. Then as he looked at it he saw in moments another haunting sight, his reflection had suddenly changed and it was no longer his face looking back at him. But the one he was now haunted by which detested him the most. Scar.
Seeing it in seconds Kovu smacked the reflection away as he cried out, "no!" Quickly he turned away from the water getting to a safer distance, after which he looked at the sandy ground as he spoke his thoughts aloud, "I can't runaway from it! Scar and the past!... But I can't go back either! What am I supposed to do?! What can I-"
"HE HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
A large bout of maniacal sound of laughter echoed everywhere and as he heard it Kovu was shocked as he recognised it, "it can't be-!?"
"Spot on there ya mutt!" At once hearing his voice Kovu looked around as he heard his voice continue on, "took me a long time to get a fix on ya! But now..."
Becoming agitated as he heard this voice Kovu turned as spoke out angrily, "you!"
It was finally then that he revealed himself from the shadows, in his overweight black lion form Pete stepped forwards as he looked at the exiled and helpless lion with an expression of sinister amusement as he finished saying, "ya're gonna be ours!"
Then suddenly as these words escaped Pete's lips and before even Kovu got a chance to say anything back all a huge swarming black shadow emerged from behind him as it roared loudly! With horrified eyes Kovu was frozen as the monstrous entity immediately stormed towards him and-!
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Annoyed Nozomi spoke out, "I can't believe he wasn't there either!" For she and the others had just come away from the canyon where they had all faced the triceratops heartless only almost a day before.
"Well it was unrealistic he was gonna be in there of all places!" Riku replied annoyed for he knew he wouldn't runaway to just try and cram himself into a tight crevice in a wall.
Mickey spoke up as he hopped forwards," well ya know it was worth a shot there Riku."
Kiara nodded, "yeah besides... he could be anywhere now! We have to look anywhere we can think of!"
Sighing at this knowing the urgency of the situation Riku replied, "yeah I get that!... And I'm just as worried too, it's just I think we've got to think of more reasonable places he might have gone to."
Cait sith on Nozomi's back as she rode on concurred, "with ya there on that one snow drop mate! So does anyone have any clues about where we should go next?"
Hearing this question everyone then was silent as they all tried to think of somewhere, Nozomi in the depths of her mind remembered on various occasions when Wairu had hidden himself away from accusations and bullying. As she remembered it was still terrible to think of, for though she was able to protect him from most of the physical abuse... she couldn't always heal the emotional damage that'd been done, when that did happen she always would find him in certain places. The small shrine in front of her Dojo, the underground hideout under his own home or in the bamboo-
"That's it!" Nozomi cried out.
Everyone surprised at this sudden outburst were a little quiet but Cait sith spoke as he asked, "what've ya got lass?"
"It's Kovu, I have an idea of where he might have gone to!" Nozomi told everyone excitedly.
Hearing the eagerness in her voice Mickey brightened as he asked, "really Nozomi? Where've ya thought of?"
At once the tiger cub told everyone, "how about a forest or jungle or something? Somewhere with loads of trees or bushes, somewhere where you can hide yourself really easily! That'd be a good place to look right?"
At this idea Riku was surprised that they hadn't thought of that already and he couldn't argue that that wasn't a good idea, "right," then he had to remind everyone, "but we have to be realistic and remember... he may not be there."
Hearing this Nozomi became a little depressed as her bubble was slightly burst as she replied, "yeah I know..."
Cait sith annoyed spoke up, "oh c'mon mates! This ain't no time to be pessimistic! Let's keep the beat on the up and not the down! Y'all got that!"
Hearing him say this Mickey and Nozomi along with Kiara were glad to have someone say this and immediately the King spoke, "yeah! I reckon we all will! Thanks for the reminder there Cait sith!"
To which in turn the small cat nodded proud he'd got the point across to them all!
Kiara having this boost and idea was happy as she quickly told everyone, "okay guys! Let's go and look in the jungle!" Which in reply everyone nodded and in moments they all ran forwards to look for their lost friend in the nearest jungle.
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Having made it into the jungle, everyone had hunted throughout the whole place for Kovu, even Cait sith had actively joined in the search, jumping off of Nozomi's back to search everywhere they could.
Kiara who had searched everywhere she could sighed as she was completely depressed, for once again she could find no trace of Kovu. Walking forwards as her sadness swelled inside her heart the lioness princess looked down, when suddenly a couple of shapes fluttered above her.
Quickly surprised she looked up with a gasp and in moment she saw that it was just a couple of butterflies flying together, they were bright coloured ones mostly yellow in colour with red tips on the edges of their wings. As she looked at the two of these creatures together, she was reminded of the fun and happiness she had experienced with Kovu and her friends together... she wished things had remained the same.
Watching the two creatures she saw them flutter away together into the distance and in moments she chased after them as she said, "hey wait!" As these two word escaped her lips the two small creatures flew in another direction and quickly she went where they did.
Chasing them she was guided up a small hill as they quickly flew up to the left, as they did Kiara did too this too as she chased them up a long tree branch, but sadly as they both flew into the skies above the lioness princess could chase after them no further. This saddened her more but then suddenly as she looked up, she saw the two star constellations that she Kovu and the others had discovered that night, the one of the bunny and two blood thirsty lions.
Looking at these made her smile again as she was reminded of that happier memories again, the sadness overtook her as she lay herself down along the branch. As she did she looked into water below and saw her reflection, however somehow she saw there was only half of her! But why? What was-
"Did you find him?"
Looking up she saw Riku had come out of the jungle and then suddenly, "no fella's! Sorry I couldn't find anything at all."
With this said it was then that Mickey hopped out of the trees looking sad too, as he emerged another voice came out saying,"aww! I was hoping he might be here!" Finally it was Nozomi who popped out looking sad too.
Hearing her friends were unsuccessful made her feel sadly drained again as she looked down, then as she did she saw a couple of bushes move around. As she saw them rustling she called out to everyone, "guys!"
At once surprising the three keybladers, they all looked up to see Kiara in the tree and as they did they heard her tell them, "look there! Those bushes!"
Riku curious asked, "bushes?"
Nozomi looking where Kiara was pointing to saw the bushes herself and feeling her curiosity quickly getting the best of her, she went to investigate what was causing the plants to rustle around.
As she got nearer to the bush she asked curious, "Kovu? Is that you in there?"
The bush then suddenly went silent, as it did Nozomi paused as she didn't know quite what she should do? So cautiously she poked her paw at it.
As she did this though Mickey thought that this wasn't the best idea as he tried to voice out, "Nozomi I don't think you should-"
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"AAAAAAGGGGGHHH!"
Nozomi cried out as she fell backwards with a fright as leaves were sent scattering out left and right. Everyone looked on at the sight with perplexed eyes as who had appeared from the bush was none other than Cait sith who announced shouting loudly, "darn it! Ain't in here either! There's nothin' in this whole forest with any sign of-" the small cat then stopped as he saw everyone staring at him. Looking at them all puzzled he asked, "hey mates what're ya all lookin' at?"
Hearing this question no-one there knew how to answer it at all, however Nozomi still lying on the ground was reminded of a similar incident that had happened a long while before as she asked, "why does this always happen ta me when I take a look at bushes?"
Riku sighed at this, this wasn't the time to be silly and so he spoke up, " well anyway it's clear Kovu's not here in this jungle, we better move on."
Kiara hearing this sadly agreed as she said, "yeah... okay, let's get going then." With that she began to manoeuvre herself from off of the bush, but as she did though she looked back to see Mickey and Riku go to help Nozomi with Cait sith. She smiled at this but then she saw something else, "mist?"
For suddenly in the air a white hazy mist was beginning to emerge from the depths of the jungle, there was a deathly chill that spread to the hearts of all those who touched.
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As they continued to trek on past the jungle the mist had built up heavily to the point where it was no longer just thin mist. It was now a pea soup thick fog which made it horribly difficult to see anything as they travelled on.
Walking on and on this search was taking seemingly no less than forever and was even now beginning to look hopeless as one person was getting really annoyed that this fog had built up so much around them. Nozomi couldn't help but complain as she said, "darn this! We're never gonna find Kovu with all this fog around us!"
Hearing her getting irritated Riku replied back to her, "and we're not gonna find him any sooner with you constantly moaning are we?"
This made Nozomi more irritated as she replied straight back, "oh get lost!"
Getting annoyed himself at these complaints Cait sith spoke up too as he complained loudly, "oh stop yer whining' the both of ya! Ya total loud mouths!"
At this Nozomi replied to him straight away outraged, "loud mouths?! Loud mouths!? You're one to talk Cait sith! Who's the one who kept ruining our practise of the start of this when we were trying to become hunters!?"
At this Cait sith lost his rag as he raged straight back, "hunters!? Ya lot!? Ya all we're never born to be A-class hunters just as much I reckon none of ya lot can wield one of them daft keyblades ya're always wavin' around!"
Kiara still walking on ahead couldn't help but become aggravated herself as she turned to everyone and said to them all, "guys will you stop this! This isn't about you! We're here to find Kovu and rescue my family! This isn't-"
"oh you! You! You!" Cait sith snapped out loudly to the princess that made her stop in her tracks shocked, "everythin's a right little melodramatic number that has to revolve around ya doesn't it!?"
Nozomi hearing him say this immediately bucked and threw him off her back as she said to him outraged, "how dare you Cait sith! Kiara's goin' through a really terrible time right now! She doesn't need you-"
The King then had to intervene as he cried out,"fella's this is no time for us to be arguin' like this! We got pals that need all our help don't we!? We gotta get movin now or-"
"It's no use trying to reason with idiots your majesty, they're too blockheaded to register anything!" Riku spoke out coldly with sarcasm.
"What did you say!" Nozomi cried out angered.
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Watching them all from above the depths of the cloud of fog Pete chuckled to himself as he murmured, "those chumps have fallin' right fer it!" For watching them all as they continued to bicker on he could see the rage of darkness that was glowing red around their eyes as it surged them all to go on.
Pete smiled glad as he said to himself, "Hari had a real bright idea there to use the rage in this whole place to germinate the darkness here! The wave of hearts we're gonna be getting' from this place is gonna be huge! Might even be tsunami size!" Then looking at the keybladers he said aloud sinisterly to himself, "and it looks like we'll be havin' those runts added to the numbers!" For around the helpless keybladers he could see the darkness beginning to surge as it was almost ready to take on its true terrible form!
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The arguments had now become far more bitter than they first began as everyone continued almost in inaudible rage as the darkness continued to fuel their anger more and more.
"You're not one to talk to me like that! After I've saved you guys so often you're the one who should be grateful to me!" Nozomi spoke out angered as she looked at Riku with gritted teeth.
Hearing this the white lion cub almost had to laugh as he heard this idiocy, "grateful! Me to you!? Who was the one who landed us in that mess to begin with! Me and the King are the ones who are always being dragged into these things because of you! And you're the one who separated me from my friends to begin with too!"
Nozomi hearing this angered argued back, "what the heck are you talking about!? It was probably your fault to begin with! How you you lost Sora and Kairi is none of my-"
"Shut up! You don't know anything! It's all your fault and I hate you for it!" Riku roared loudly at her.
Nozomi hearing this was startled terribly as she was made silent as she heard Riku go on, "if Hari had taken you at that time I'd still be with them both and the king would be with Donald, Goofy and his wife Minnie! Everything that's happened is all your fault!"
Nozomi hearing this didn't understand what Riku meant, she had no memory of that whatsoever! Hari trying to take her? She'd seen Kairi and Sora? How could this be? Then as she looked at Riku's eyes and saw the rage that they contained, it made her shudder inside as she wondered to herself, 'why are we fighting like this?Why are we-'
'Make sure you don't let the roots of hatred ensnare you,' Jona's words echoed immediately back into her mind and as they did Nozomi shuddered as she shook her head trying to quickly make that horrible burning sensation inside her leave.
As she did this Riku still in the midst of his own rage asked her coldly, "what's wrong? Can't take the reality of what you've done? Maybe I should just tell you what you really are now since you're so desperate to know!"
Nozomi shaking her head felt the feeling quickly lessen inside opened her eyes as she saw the red rings now around everyone's eyes. As she saw it she realised what was going on! The darkness was infecting them now too!
Riku spoke angrily again as he started to say, "Nozomi you're nothing but a-"
"Stop it!" She yelled as she charged forwards and rammed him down, pinning him to the ground by his chest.
Hearing this yell Cait sith, Kiara and Mickey turned as they stopped in the midst of their own bickering as they stared at the scene that was unfolding before them.
Riku hurt from this sudden shove cried out, "oww! What're you-"
Nozomi told him, "Riku this in't like you! Remember!? You promised me you'd tell me later what I am right!" She then told him with desperateness in her eyes, "and remember what you told me about inner darkness! It's infecting you again and everyone else here! You've got to snap out of if right now!"
Hearing her Riku paused as his eyes widened, he couldn't quite believe what she was saying as he started to ask, "what do you mean by-?"
Suddenly there was a huge shaking that startled everyone as it nearly all unbalanced them all, Nozomi seeing this knew something terrible was going to happen if she didn't hurry up so she cried out, "Riku! Everyone! Please believe me there's something that's trying to pull us apart!"
Hearing the urgency and sadness of her voice it was finally that she'd got through to everyone as the enraged rings of red vanished from their eyes to be replaced by regret and worry.
As this happened the shaking increased dramatically and as everyone felt this immediately Cait sith cried out, "we gotta leg it I reckon mates!"
Then instantly everyone ran as the earth beneath them began to move into the air! Mickey quickly hopping forwards cried out loudly, "c'mon fella's! Let's go now!'
"Right!" Kiara called out loudly as she followed after the mouse King with Cait sith riding on her back.
Nozomi seeing them go, quickly moved off of Riku who got up and looked at her with an expression of shame, to which Nozomi just shook her head to tell him silently that it was okay with a smile. Seeing this he was grateful and quickly he smiled back sadly, with that the two of them quickly leaped forwards as they caught up with the others landing on the still earth again.
In moments as this happened the moving earth that they had been upon vanished as a large snapping sound echoed everywhere followed by a large roar that came out as stones and rocks were scattered left and right.
Glad to be back on the ground Cait sith spoke out, "whoa! That was one heck of a trip there lads! What the heck was happenin' to us back there!"
At this Riku replied, "I don't know... but!" With that he turned around agitated as he told everyone, "we'll see with this fog gone!" Immediately he summoned his keyblade as he cried out, "Aero!" With that the wind spell spread around as a small hurricane sucked in all the thick foggy atmosphere.
As this occurred and the fog was quickly drained away, it left the air clear and fresh and allowing everyone to see the night sky again. Then finally the creature that had caused all this chaos amongst them all.
There standing in the air upon a sea of countless green writing vines and octopus like tentacles was an enormous wide plant like mouth with sharp jagged teeth which were revealed in a sinister crescent moon like grin as a smog of purple dark spores leaked from it. Looking at this creature it was almost like a hideous venus fly trap, under its mouth were an array of five long tentacles that each had a glistening red eye that stared at all of the heroes menacingly with hunger.
Seeing it Nozomi couldn't help but say the words, "eww! That's gross!"
Then suddenly, "aww! What a shame ya runts have ruined my best smoke screen yet!"
Hearing this voice immediately everyone looked up as they saw on a lifted platform of crumbling land was none other than, "Pete!" Mickey cried outraged.
Hearing him the overweight black lion laughed, "the one and only!"
Quickly summoning her keyblade with her tail Nozomi cried out, "so you're the one who's made that monster!"
Pleased that she'd got it Pete replied to her, "bingo there sweet cheeks! And I almost had him have ya guys for dinner!"
Cait sith then told him mad, "dinner my slinky tail! Ya were the one who had us arguin' and at each others throat with this disgustin' beasty of yours weren't ya!?"
At this Pete just laughed madly again as he told them all, "wrongo there ya stray! I didn't push none of ya into that fightin' state ya were all in! Ya already had that inside ya! Me and my heartless just simply stoked them embers of darkness in ya! So you ain't got no one but yerselves to blame fer that little red spell!"
At this everyone became quiet as they realised that awful truth... none of them were as strong against the darkness as they had first thought. To which Pete mocked them for by saying, "ya see! Ya're all wet behind the ears!"
But quickly Nozomi spoke back, "yeah sure we might be! I admit it! That's right we argued and fought! We all have stuff inside us that we're all bitter about! But in the end we're all still friends! And as long as one of us is there to pull the others out of that darkness then we'll never lose to it!" The small tiger looked up to the overweight lion defiantly as she told him with strength in her voice, "you'll never beat us with cheap tricks like that Pete!"
Hearing her say this everyone felt strengthened and invigorated from these simple words, the King then spoke up himself as he told her, "well said there Nozomi!" To which the tiger cub looked to him as she smiled happily and with that the kangaroo mouse looked to Pete again as he told him, "and she's right! We're all each others strength!" Then summoning his own keyblade he told him further, "we'll beat your heartless before ya can blink there Pete!"
These words though didn't impress him as he told them all, "oh I'm shakin' in me big old boots! But it won't be that easy for ya runts!" With that he stomped his paw and in moments another piece of crumbling earthy platform that the heartless had was revealed with a certain someone on it.
Seeing it immediately Kiara cried out distressed, "Kovu!?" Everyone gasped as they saw him too, he was passed out unconscious and laying unmoving on the platform with a pained look was upon his face.
Seeing him there Riku called out mad, "what've you done to him!?"
At this Pete told the white lion cub, "oh I just knocked him into the land of nod with a little poisonous bout of fumes!" As these words escaped Pete's mouth Kovu cried out painfully as he coughed writhing a little showing he was in a bout of agony.
This worried everyone tremendously as Pete told them all, "oh and just to let ya all know further the poison's drainin' him the more time goes on! So..." with that the heartless geared itself back as it moved one of its long tentacles back and like a whip it was ready to strike them all down as the black lion villain concluded, "ya'll have ta defeat us real lightnin' quick!" With that the whip like tentacle came flying down in moments as it roared loudly. As it did the others all quickly scattered, jumping out of harms way as the whip sent dust and earth flying left and right!
Hearing this terrible revelation Kiara spoke out worried, "Kovu!? If we don't hurry he's going to-"
"Don't worry!" Nozomi interrupted her as she looked to the lioness princess, "we'll get him out of this! Everything will be okay Kiara!"
Hearing her say this with a positive smile on her face Kiara couldn't believe it as she said sadly, "Nozomi..."
"The lass is bang on!" Cait sith cried out as he removed himself from Kiara and quickly set himself on Nozomi's back again as he told her, "the lot of us we'll save that Kovu lad! Don't get all distressed out there ya royal lioness lass!"
Quiet Kiara said nothing as then Riku and Mickey moved into position around their friend as the mouse King spoke to her too, "yeah! We can do this! Kiara believe in us! We'll have this done in record time!"
Still silent Kiara didn't know what to say at all but then Riku told her, "Kiara I promise you, everything will be all right, we'll return Kovu back to you soon, okay?"
Hearing all this certainty from her friends Kiara was grateful for it as she nodded and replied, "okay! Do your best guys!"
With that everyone nodded to the princess as she quickly moved herself to a safer distance and as she did they all looked back up again at the horrible heartless. As they did Riku looked at his friend's pained face as he spoke quietly, "hang in there Kovu!"
Pete then seeing they were ready for battle smacked his paws down as he cried out, "let's get down to the rumblin'!" With that the heartless roared loudly as it was ready for some more prey to devour!
Cait sith in turn gave out his own battle cry, "charge mates!" With that they did as the battle between the poisonous heartless and determined keybladers began!