I would like to apologize to my readers for not updating in two years, but I had a doctoral dissertation to research and write up, but now, with my work accomplished, I have a little more time for the joys of fanfic writing.
Pride Rock
Nala cradled the cowering cubs, Mohatu and Uru, behind her front paws as she lay on the ground in the den of Pride Rock. She could not believe what was happening. Kion had just finished telling the entire Pridelands that Vitani had murdered her own Lion Guard with the Roar and Kovu was indeed the one who killed Simba. Worst of all, Kiara had been deposed and banished for exercising poor judgment. The former Queen held her head low. Her sons had just betrayed her daughter. Seeing her children so divided was almost worse than if one of them had died.
But not only that, her two grandcubs had been left parentless and now her sons were fighting each other over who would keep them.
"They are my heirs," Kopa insisted. "They can't just leave the Pridelands or the same whispers about having no experience that are plaguing me will plague them when they return."
"Kiara and Kovu are still alive, near the Pridelands. They will constantly try to abduct them. They will be safer with me and Rani at the Tree of Life," Kion insisted.
Kopa scoffed. "By the same logic our sister will try to assassinate me and take the throne back the moment you leave. If you really want them to be safe, you need to find Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani and use the Roar with the intent to ki—"
Nala, unable to take anymore, loosed a roar of her own at Kopa and Kion—nothing that had the physical force of the Roar of the Elders, but with a mother's pain that was just as strong. Her sons stopped bickering and looked toward her, ashamed of the argument.
"If you intend to use your roar on my daughter or her mate and his sister you will have to go through me first," Nala rose to her full height, keeping her grandcubs between the sides of her front legs.
"Mom..." Kion started but found himself at a loss for words. Could he really hurt Kiara if it came to it? The possibility alone was enough to make him cringe. The likelihood that it would be necessary made him want to vomit. The pain in his scar was dull but growing. "I don't want to hurt my sister," he said, trying to build up his confidence, "but we have to face the fact that she's a traitor. She chose Kovu over Dad, knowing what he did."
"Need I remind you that once my mate was accused of killing the former King?" Nala said.
"That was different," Kion shook his head.
"In what way?"
"Scar had convinced Dad that he really did cause the wildebeest stampede that killed Grandfather Mufasa, even if by accident. Kovu never accepted responsibility, even if by accident."
"You don't know Kovu or Vitani like I do. And Vitani did claim responsibility for killing her own Guard."
His mother was right about one thing, Kion realized — Vitani had claimed responsibility. He also remembered that she been heartbroken, holding back tears. She'd told him she'd failed him.
"At least she has more of a conscience than her brother," Kion said. He would be more merciful to her than he was to Kovu...but as for the third member of that trio...Kiara. Kion could not afford to think about his sister until he separated her from Kovu. Then, maybe, she'd see reason. "Kovu is guilty. If not of trying to kill Dad, then of trying to get at Dhaifu and ordering murder to cover up getting Dad by mistake. We have to make Kiara see that."
"Listen to yourself," Nala said in disgust, resuming her laying posture, front paws now cupping around the infants. "Kiara knows Kovu better than anyone. No matter how you let Kopa spin this Kiara will never believe he harmed your father for any reason."
Kion stared at the ground wondering if he had the strength to do what would now have to come next.
Kopa saw that his moment had come. Their mother had persuaded Kion that Kiara could not be reasoned with. That meant she had to go. Kopa had not set out with the intention of killing his sister, but now that everyone except her saw the truth that her mate had murdered their father...sometimes being a good king required doing bad things.
"Kion," Kopa gently batted his brother's cheek with his paw to snap the younger but more mature lion out of his stupor.
"I don't know her as well as you do but she is still my sister too. If we could avoid hurting her, I'd love that, but physically or emotionally she is going to be hurt, maybe killed. It's the only path she's left us."
"How do I even know you are really my son, with everything that has happened since you came?" Nala spoke angrily to Kopa.
Kopa winced. His mother clearly had a favorite child. He felt his eyes begin to water, but rather than let his weakness be seen, he shook his head, letting the watery specks fly, and centered his head with steely determination. So, Nala didn't love him? Too bad. He still had Dhaifu. One parent was enough.
"Mother, that was a horrible thing to say," Kion said.
Kopa smiled. He also still had Kion and Rani.
Nala nodded deeply, ashamed of what she had said.
"Kopa, forgive me, but what you were saying about Kiara..." Nala trailed off unable to complete her thought. The regret for what she said was legitimate, but so was her reason for saying it in the first place.
Kopa looked at his mother and felt his heart melt, just a little bit. It was only natural for her to love Kiara and Kion more than she loved Kopa. For most of his life she had believed him dead. She had actually raised Kiara and Kion.
"It's alright, Mom. I know how hard everything has been on everyone since I showed up."
"Not you, Son," Nala said. "Your other father."
Kopa couldn't believe this! His mother still thought Kovu was innocent?
Violently shaking his head, he stormed out of the den. He ran to the tip of Pride Rock's promontory and looked out at the vastness of his kingdom, hoping that somewhere within it was an answer to the problems confronting his family, before exhaling in frustration at his useless fanciful wishing.
"Kopa," his favorite sibling said.
He turned to see Kion approach.
"Kion, I'm afraid we have to do something very ugly for the good of the kingdom. We both know that we have to kill Kovu, but I'm worried that will just turn Kiara into a new Zira, plotting vengeance for her mate and..." Kopa felt his vocal cords constrict. He didn't want to say what came next.
"I don't want it to come to that," Kion said.
"Me either," Kopa exhaled. He had never dreamed that everything would come to this dreadful possibility. "But what if..." he gulped nervously, "What if we don't have a choice?"
Kion felt his own heart sink.
"I don't know if I can do it."
"Didn't our father have to kill his uncle?" Kopa reminded Kion, and cringed as he said it. He really didn't want to harm Kiara, but she was so loyal to their enemy...
"Dad didn't kill Scar." Kion said, surprising Kopa. "He banished him. Then Scar attacked him, they fought, Scar fell off this cliff, and got eaten by army of his own hyena underlings who just heard him try to sell them out."
Kopa stared at Kion incredulously. That was so different from how things were done in the Swamplands under Dhaifu's father, King Kubwa. To protect the throne, he'd been forced to kill his own brother, his best friend, and his eldest son, all of whom Dhaifu had told Kopa his father loved dearly.
"There was a time when our great-grandfather Ahadi ruled like a tyrant, but Scar has been the only king since him to kill a member of his own family."
Kopa felt a bit relieved. Ahadi and Kubwa were contemporaries, and very similar in personality. His home wasn't any more vicious than the Pridelands had once been.
But that didn't address the immediate issue. Kopa knew that Ahadi and Kubwa lived in tumultuous times and had to take some of their less pleasant steps. Now history was repeating itself. Could Kion kill his own sister if necessary? Could Kopa? Kopa did not want to harm Kiara but he knew Kovu would have to go, and that Kiara would harbor a festering hatred in her heart. She had to go too. But it would be unfair to force that act on Kion who was raised with her.
"Kion," Kopa said authoritatively. "Only worry about Kovu and Vitani. I'll deal with Kiara."
Kion nodded and walked back to the den.
As Kion walked away, Kopa faced the setting sun. A tear streamed from his eye. He really did not want to do what he knew he had to.
Kion was about to enter the den when he noticed Rani ascending the path leading to the same place.
She was about to say something when she met Kion's gaze.
"When do we take the cubs?" she asked with concern creeping its way into her voice.
"Kopa doesn't want us to take them and that's the source of the problem," Kion said, dejectedly.
"But they aren't safe with Kiara and Kovu lurking about!" Rani began.
"Which brings us to the problem. Kopa wants me to use the Roar on Kovu and we both know how Kiara will react."
"She'll become a threat in her own right. I see where this is going." Rani looked off into the sunset. Kion bent his forelegs and crossed them, leaning his head against Rani's neck as she stooped down as well, gently breathing on his head.
"Do you think you can do it?" She didn't have to specify what "it" was.
"Kopa said he'll handle it, but I'll still be near enough to see and hear."
Kion violently shook his head as mental images and sounds of his sister being torn apart flashed through his mind. Rani pulled her head back but ran a concerned paw over Kion's back as her mate grunted in emotional torment. His scar throbbed more painfully than it ever had since he received it.
"I can't just watch my own sister be killed so painfully. Using the Roar on her would be more merciful."
"I know," Rani said softly. "Do you think you can do it?"
"It doesn't matter if I can," Kion looked to Rani, tears flowing. "I have to."
"Oh, Kion," she said and nuzzled her maw into the curve of his neck. "Let your tears flow now. What you are going through should never be forced on any animal."
He huffed in desperation, noting just how truthful his mate's words were. His tears began to flow in a torrent.
With three legs bent beneath her in a lying position, Rani placed a firm paw on Kion's back.
"I'm here," she said softly.
"Rani..." Kion began, not really knowing where to start. "Kiara and I were cubs together. I can still remember playing with her, me chasing her, her chasing me...and now this." His scar stung, but he was past caring about physical pain. He just simply cried as his mate nuzzled him.
"When this over, let's ask Mom to come to the Tree of Life with us. She'll need its healing at least as much as I will."
"Of course, mpenzi wangu."
Rani looked down at her mate who continued to shed tears while focusing on nothing his external sight could perceive. He had lost a father and one of his best friends already. Now his sister was as good as gone too. How much could one lion take. The Queen of the Tree of Lif felt her own heart grow heavy, bound as it was to her consort's. Laying her own head on his back she felt her own tears begin to flow.
