The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 44: Uncertainty

In the morning, the lions and the cheetahs were training their battle techniques, being supervised by Koca. On the meantime, Kion was teaching Emba how to battle, next to the training warriors. Kion tackled his son, not applying too much strength, getting his snout close to his neck. "You go for the neck, then you bite and don't stop, until your enemy is done."

"And…what if my enemy gets me first?" Emba inquired.

"You do the same, bite the neck." Kion got off him slowly. "Without hesitation."

"Okay." Emba got onto his paws.

"Well, go ahead." Kion said.

Emba raised an eyebrow. "Uhm…with you?"

"Of course." Kion replied with a nod.

"Alright." Emba said with doubt and rushed towards him and with a jump, he pushed his chest with his front paws, Kion brought himself down, pretending to be aiming at his son's neck, opening his jaws. Emba bit his neck softly without applying to much pressure.

"Good." Kion praised with a smile. "Think fast and no one will take you by surprise." Kion got onto his paws, as well as his son.

"I did good? Really?" Emba inquired with a glare of excitement on his face.

"For sure, Emba!" Kion licked his face, making him chuckle. "You are learning fast." He nuzzled his forehead with pride. "You will be the strongest of warriors. The wisest of kings."

"I'm not sure if I can be as good as you." Emba said.

"Oh, son." Kion expressed. "I…I've been everything but a good king."

"Don't say that, you're amazing!" Emba praised.

Kion chuckled. "Thank you, my son. I promise you that I'll make better decisions from now on." He looked into the sky, with a nostalgic and decided glance. "I promise."

Kovu was hiding behind a big rock, having listened to their conversation. There was guilt in his eyes, but also great worry and uncertainty. He left with caution and stealth.

On the meantime, Zale, Keru and Ari were playing on a large pond that had formed next to Pride Rock. Keru hit the water with his hind leg, wetting Ari's face. "Gah! It's so cold!" Ari exclaimed between chuckles.

Zale pushed Keru, making him fall and get completely wet. "It's bath time, brother!"

"Zale!" Keru got onto his paws and shook in order to dry himself a bit, trembling by the coldness of the water.

"I told ya!" Ari told Keru. "It's cold!"

"Don't be so sensitive, guys." Zale said.

"Zale, Keru." Kovu arrived, gesturing backwards. "We need to talk."

"But we're playing now." Keru said.

"Yes, dad, maybe l…" Zale got interrupted.

"Now." Kovu said with a straight tone.

Keru and Zale walked away from the pond, drying themselves off while glaring down with sadness. "Are we in trouble?" Zale inquired.

"No, no son, don't worry." Kovu said, hesitating to ask what he wanted to know. "Now that we are here, do you see how much responsibility you will have when you grow up?"

"When we become kings?" Zale inquired.

"Indeed." Kovu replied firmly.

"But I don't want to be king." Keru said.

Kovu grunted and looked at him with a frown. "Why? Why would you want to be something else?"

"Because I don't want to be angry all the time!" Keru exclaimed, with a lump in his throat. "Every time you talk about this, and since we left Ungari…you've become…" He sighed and looked away.

"I've become what?" Kovu asked daringly.

"You've become annoying! Bossy!" Keru exclaimed. "Why can't you just be like you…" He sobbed. "…like you were before?"

Kiara was arriving. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"I'm just doing my part, son! Your mom, your…uncle, we all have an important role here!" Kovu explained.

"But why do you want me to do that as well! I want to be someone else!" Keru said.

"And who would that be?" Kovu asked with a straight tone.

"I…I still don't know! Stop…p…pressuring me, I hate it!" Keru started to cry and rushed away from them in a hurry.

"Keru!" Kiara exclaimed, but her son left anyway. She sighed and looked at Zale. "What happened, son?"

"I was just tell…" Kovu got interrupted by Kiara.

"I asked him." Kiara gestured at her son.

"Well…my dad told us about, uhm, responsibility." Zale replied. "When we become kings and all of that."

"I see." Kiara looked at her mate with a raised eyebrow.

"They're old enough to start learning these things." Kovu said. "I just want them to become great rulers."

Kiara lowered down her gaze, adopting a face of intrigue and confusion. "Go with your brother, Zale."

"O…okay." Zale left with hesitation.

"What?" Kovu asked with a tone of annoyance.

Kiara sighed. "Stop pushing them with this, Kovu, they're just cubs."

"I know, but still, they won't just leave behind what is theirs by right." Kovu expressed firmly.

"Well, not exactly 'by right'. They can succeed any of us in The Council, just like Emba is gonna do in Rani's place." Kiara responded. "Kovu, why are you so obsessed with our offspring gaining power to reign? That's something…odd in you, to say the least."

"Odd? I want the best for them." Kovu argued. "Is that wrong?"

"Of course not, what I can't stand seeing is our sons feeling so pressured by you, you just saw what happened with Keru." Kiara responded.

"He is…confused, that's all." Kovu shook his head. "He doesn't know what he wants."

"He is a cub, Kovu. Of course he doesn't know." Kiara got closer to him. "Weren't you the same way back in the day? When Zira told you what was your great mission?"

"I'm not like her." Kovu replied.

"I didn't ask you that." Kiara looked into his eyes with concern. "What are you so afraid of, Kovu?"

Kovu raised an eyebrow. "Afraid? I'm not afraid, I'm just guiding my sons."

Kiara got her snout close to his and licked it tenderly. "Do you think everything you have will be taken away from you?" She nuzzled him. "Is that it?"

Kovu got thoughtful for a long moment. "I…I want a good life for them." He looked at her and rested his forehead on hers. "I'll make sure that happens."

Keru was crying under the shadow of a young tree, resting his side on it. Ari saw him from afar, so she rushed towards him hurriedly. "Keru!" She approached him. "Hey, are you hurt?"

Keru sobbed. "No." He cried with deep sadness and impotence.

"Oh, what's wrong?" Ari got closer to him and sat down by his side.

Keru shook his head. "He…" The tears kept traveling over his face.

Ari nuzzled his neck amicably. "My uncle?"

"Mhm." Keru nodded while sobbing. "He keeps telling me to be king, that I…have to be a king and nothing else!" Keru kept crying. "Why can't I say no?"

"I…I don't think too much about, well, our future and those things." Ari said. "It doesn't make sense to me."

"Me neither, but he makes me think about it every time!" Keru sobbed. "I don't want to rule, to argue all the time and fight and…see…everyone die." He continued crying. "There's so much…death…pain." Keru sobbed.

A tear ran down Ari's face. "I know." Her voice was broken. "I miss her so much." She started to cry, resting her head on her cousin's neck.

"That's why I want to be free, Ari." Keru said. "Just…living, as we did in Ungari." He sobbed. "Everything is bad in this place."

"You're wrong." Zale arrived all of a sudden, getting a glare from his little brother. "Bad things happen here, for sure." He approached them and nuzzled them both, caressing their necks and faces with tenderness. "But good things as well."

"Like what?" Keru inquired.

"We play in the ponds." Zale's voice started to break. "We eat and take naps every day." He held the lump in his throat with strength. "Aren't those good things?"

"Zale…I don't want to be king." Keru said and kept sobbing.

"I know." Zale stroked his head with his. "Just…forget about that." He let out a long sigh. "Would you like to keep playing in the pond?"

Keru sobbed and nodded with hesitation. "Yes."

"Mhm." Ari said between sobs.

"Good." Zale spoke with a reassuring tone.