Leone slowed to a stop as we entered the Pridelands once more. Pride Rock stood tall in the distance.
"Let's go see what danger Mufasa was talking about." He rumbled agreement and we broke into a loping run once more. We weren't in a rush, but it was getting close to end of the day.
We arrived at the base of Pride Rock and I hopped off Leone's back. After I patted him on his shoulder, he dissipated and jumped into my hand. I started going up the rocks when someone called out.
"James?!" I looked up and blinked in confusion. A lioness was standing at the den entrance.
A lioness I didn't recognize.
"Sorry, are you ne-?!" She leaped at me, slamming paw first into my stomach. The air was forced from my lungs as hundreds of pounds squashed them. We sprawled across the dirt, with me coughing and wheezing out the tiny bit of air left in my body. "Augh…pain…so much pain."
"James! It really is you!" The lioness scrambled to her feet and stuck her nose in my face. "I can't believe it! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" She started bouncing around me in excitement, rocking from her front paws to her back, and front again. I sat up and held the back of my head.
"Gonna leave a mark…" I took a good look at the lioness before it clicked. "Kiara…?" Her expression turned incredulous
"Of course it's me!"
"Great Bey Spirits, you've grown!" I smiled and held my arms out, ignoring the twinge in my shoulder. She tackled me again, this time in a hug, babbling about how excited she was. She leaped back with bright eyes and a swishing tail.
"Come on! My parents are in the den!" She ran up the rocks and disappeared inside. I winced as I got up, rolling my shoulder a couple times. I could feel Leone snickering in the back of my head, earning himself a mental swack.
"Shut up." I made my way up to the den, only to meet Simba, Nala, and Kiara at the entrance.
"James!"
"Your Highnesses." I bowed, only to nearly fall again when Nala came up and placed her paws on my shoulders, hugging me. My knees strained for a moment before I was able to stop us from falling. "Oof! It's, good to see you all!" I returned the hug. She hopped down and Simba nearly replaced her, only to get shoved to the side.
"Coming through!" A wall of tan fur launched into me paw first, knocked me to the ground. Again. "You're back!" Barely avoiding smacking my head into the rock, rendering me unconscious, I sighed and hugged Uzuri.
"This sudden abuse might change my mind…" After all but smothering me, she let me up. I was greeted by the rest of the pride, all smiling and laughing as we began catching up on the past two years.
««{{}}»»
The sun was sinking towards the horizon, casting a fiery film over the land. I sat up near the edge where Simba would stand for gatherings. Not much had changed. The herds looked as strong as ever.
Simba appeared at my side, sitting down and looking out as well.
"This view never gets old."
"It doesn't," I agreed with him.
"Have you figured out why you're back?"
"Not yet. Mufasa was…vague…" He huffed at that, though it was filled with fondness.
"That sounds like him." After a little more conversing, I nudged his shoulder with mine before I got to my feet.
"…I'm going to see Sarabi…" The air stilled and he nodded.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"If you wish." I put my hands in my pockets and he followed me to the two mounds of dirt that had grown over. The walk was peaceful, if a bit stifling in its silence. I knelt between the heads of them both. I placed a hand on either one.
"Hello Sarabi, Sarafina." I could feel the questioning gaze from the king. He understood speaking during their burials, but he might not know that some people do so afterwards. "Mufasa requested I come back. There's something I might be able to help with. I know you're not here anymore, but I am grateful for the time we had together. I am grateful for the friendship you gave me." I turned my head so I was looking at Sarabi's grave. I glanced at Simba with my bad eye. His own head was bowed. I took in a shaky breath. Leone, without hesitation, steadied himself in my mind. Determination filled me. Protectiveness worthy of the pride I was a member of flared to life.
"I will do what I can to protect your pride. I promise." I stood tall then stepped over to Simba. "Do you need a minute?" He nodded. I returned it and stepped out of hearing range.
"What's the first thing we should look into?" Of course, the first image that popped into my head was Zira. "I'm not surprised. We can ask about her later. For now, let's get settled in." Simba stopped by my side. Without a word needed, we headed back to the den.
My feet rooted to the ground. Something was watching me. I slowly turned around. Standing on Sarabi's grave was a shimmering form of a lioness. It looked like a heat mirage. The lioness looked at her paw and swiped some dirt away. Then, without much more than a glance at me, faded out of sight.
I stepped over, caution and curiosity gently twisting together in my head.
What was there dropped me to a knee, my breath leaving me with the motion. Simba appeared at my side.
"James? What's wrong?"
"Of course she did," I whispered painfully.
"Did what?" I couldn't answer.
Sitting there, with dirt swiped away from it, was a young aloe plant.
««{{}}»»
"Daddy, I promise I'll be careful," Kiara pleaded with Simba. She was desperate for her first solo hunt. I could understand it, having traveled on my own for years now.
"…" The worried air rolling off of the king was almost thick enough to grab. I rolled my eyes.
"Come on, Simba, she's smart enough to avoid trouble." He shot a look at me before sighing.
"Alright. You can go." She took off before he even finished his sentence. He called a few more things out, each and every one ignored by the princess. He bent down and started whispering to Timon and Pumba.
"Bad idea," I interrupted. He looked up at me.
"What?" I turned to him, my arms folded and a disappointed look tugging at my features.
"You want to lose her trust forever?"
"No, of course not!"
"Then don't send them out. If she finds them, it will be a long time before she takes you at your word."
"Then what do I do? What if she gets hurt?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Asks the one who survived a trip across the desert. As a cub." He winced again, looking down at his paws. "She's strong and smart." I looked out towards the horizon, where I could see her loping form shrinking.
"Besides," I reached for my belt, "Leone is much stealthier then they are."
««{{}}»»
I sat near the edge of Pride Rock, my legs folded together. A gentle aura resonated around my form as a sign of concentration. My focus was on Leone. He was a good mile or two away, and this was the farthest we had ever pushed our bond. My brow was pinched, even as I felt a lion come up on my left.
"How is she?"
"If there was something wrong, you'd be the first to know." I opened my eyes, shooting a look at Simba. "Leone could also come back, get me, and have both of us there before you even make it halfway." He sighed.
"I know, I know." I rolled my eyes. He was worried, which was understandable…why was she moving further away?
I refocused on Leone, watching Kiara through the images he was sending back. It was a little hard to see, given how tall the grass was compared to the Bey, but she was moving further away from Pride Rock.
'She shouldn't be going that far away. The herd is right there.' I closed my eyes to better focus on her. She didn't seem to be doing anything suspicious, but that only made me more so. Leone tracked her until she stopped at another herd.
While she crept closer, something off to the left must have made a sound. As one, the herd raised their heads. They took off, with Kiara growling in annoyance before following them. She snagged the back leg of one of the stragglers.
I mentally groaned as she focused on the biggest one. The wildebeest kicked out, Kiara just ducking under the hooves that could end everything in a second. Her claws slipped free and the prey took off. She panted and glared, her ears pinned back. Her head shot up and looked in the same direction as the herd had only seconds before.
Leone maneuvered around. I stiffened.
"Smoke…?" Leone shot back in my direction. I felt the mental flip as he changed modes and rocketed across the Pridelands. I stood up. "Something is wrong. There's smoke out there," I said as I watched the green streak of light getting closer.
"Smoke? And Leone didn't make it?"
"No."
"Then what happened?"
"I'll know in a minute. Stay here." Taking two steps, I fell off the edge of Pride Rock, flipping once to right myself. Leone pinged off the rock behind me and formed his Spirit. I landed on his back as he met me midair. As soon as he landed, we were off like a shot.
"What do you think it was?" Leone didn't know. He also didn't like the fact that Kiara didn't immediately run in the other direction. We flew across the Pridelands, only to skid to a halt at the wall of fire.
"Time to break it out!" I hopped off as Leone stepped closer. He roared and a whirling wind kicked up. The fire was sucked in, the orange-red color changing to a royal purple. Leone threw his head back and the hurricane spread up and out. I felt the air heat up rapidly as fire was peeled off of the grass itself, but there was still enough around to be dangerous.
"Focus on putting this out, I'm going to find Kiara!" He acknowledged me with a roar. The savanna was basically flat, which meant there wasn't a lot of places for the smoke to go but up. It still settled heavily in the grass, so I pulled my shirt over my mouth as I called out for the princess. The flames were nearly blindingly bright, the smoke stung my eyes and nose, and made it hard to breathe.
"Kiara! KIARA!"
A roar came from my left after my call. A form leaped through the flames, landing in front of me. A dark furred lion jumped in surprise upon noticing me. Kiara was limp on his back. I pointed back the way I came.
"This way!" Hesitating only a moment, the male followed me. We ran as fast as we could, the lion only slowed to my pace because of the weight he was carrying. We broke free of the flames. I spun around.
"Leone! We're out! Finish it!" A loud roar was the response that came seconds before even the local area was bathed in a purple, shimmering light. Every lick of flame was pulled from the grass and sucked into a vortex that rivaled a skyscraper in size. I shielded my face as the heat only continued to build.
Deciding it was too much, I drew a star in front of me before punching it. The Phantom Zone formed over myself and the lions, blocking out the heat.
"Hoo! That was hot!" I watched in awe as the flames continued to twist. "You better not melt yourself." I got a snarl of 'no duh' in the back of my mind as my Bey continued to work. I turned to the stranger.
"Confused? Understandable. I have a couple of questions myself. Before that, however, I'm going to ask that you hand over the princess."
"And let you take credit for saving her? No thanks." The male turned, only to run nose first into the purple dome. "Ow."
"Yeaaaah. You're not leaving until I let you leave. Besides, it's gotta be a couple hundred degrees out there. You'd be roasted alive."
"I'm used to the heat of the savanna. Unlike you, human." He sneered over his shoulder.
"You think I can't take a little heat? My best friend produces fire on a regular basis. But you're not going out there until it cools off a little." That's when he stopped and truly looked at me. His face slackened from the tough guy act.
"…James?" I paused for a moment.
"How do you know my name?"
"It's me. Kovu." I swore Leone almost dropped the Hurricane in shock. It was time for me to study him. Dark fur that almost matched the cub I remember. Piercing green eyes that reminded me of acid. He was just a little bigger than Kiara, but he was definitely more built.
"…What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I saved her. What else?"
"You just happened to be nearby when a wildfire trapped the princess." I folded my arms.
"I was hunting."
"In the Pride lands," I deadpanned.
"No. Nearby. I heard her calling for help. Seeing as her pride left her on her own, I figured I'd better step in." My look darkened at his words. "She was unconscious when I found her. She'd be dead if it weren't for me. Now, are you going to let me out of whatever this is?" I shrugged as he pawed at the dome.
"Relax. First of all, just because you know my name doesn't mean you're who you claim. Second, I need to check on Kiara." I stepped closer, only for him to press against the dome wall with his nose wrinkling in the beginning of a snarl. I stopped and leveled a glare at him.
"Growl at me, and your head will rattle for the next week. Now put her down." I let some of my power leak out of my body, forming a slight glow on my skin. He pressed back more, nerves taking over.
"Scary as I remember. Fine. But don't hurt her."
"Mh-hm…" I hummed noncommittally as he slid her off his back. Leone was almost done putting the fire out, so I needed to be swift. I checked her pulse and breathing. Her eyes opened briefly, catching mine. I smiled while petting her head. She fell unconscious once more, her body relaxing. I stood up.
"She's fine. Though she may need to breath deep for a while to clear out any smoke she breathed in. And," I looked over my shoulder, "It looks like Leone is about wrapped up." The fire hurricane had died down to a mere funnel. With a burst of his power, it fell apart, the flames dispersing harmlessly into the air. I gave it a moment before dropping the dome. Heat washed over us. The air itself smelled of pure flame. I waved my hand in front of my face.
"Whew! That stinks." Leone trotted over, his ears flicking happily. "Have fun bud?" He grinned toothily. "Good. Come on, Kiara was caught in the fire, and we should get her back to the den to rest.
"James!" I rolled my eyes before muttering to myself.
"Two years later and they still haven't learned. What?!" I spun around to glare at Simba. He trotted up, only to stop when he saw the foreign lion. His hackles went up when he saw him standing over Kiara.
"Who are you?!"
"Simba," Kovu stepped forward, raising his head. "I humbly ask to join your pride." I whacked him over the head. "Ow! Hey!"
"Jumping the gun there, idiot. Maybe explain why you're standing over the king's unconscious daughter first. Or, better yet, answer said king's question." He rubbed his head while glaring at a very unrepentant Blader. Turning to the king, he stepped away from Kiara.
"My name is Kovu. You might remember that you banished my mother years ago."
"Who could forget…" It was Simba's turn to shoot me a look at my utterance. Nala stepped through the crowd of growing lionesses and checked on her daughter. I crouched next to her and began whispering the same thing I said moments before. Simba and Kovu talked(read: growled, and tried to act cool, respectively) until he was tentatively allowed back to Pride Rock.
Leone didn't like it. Clearly, Simba didn't either, but there was a reason Kovu saved Kiara, and he wanted to know. We all wanted to.
We headed back for the night. I settled in the same spot I had two years ago. Leaning against the wall, I watched Simba stop Kovu from entering the den. I sighed a little, understanding where he was coming from.
Who knew what Zira told Kovu. He was barely able to walk and talk at the same time when they were banished. I grabbed my blanket and wrapped it over my shoulders. The den was warm enough with the lions all sleeping together, but the savanna got cold at night.
Simba started to enter the den as I stepped in front of him.
"James?"
"I'll keep an eye on him."
"Are you sure?" I shrugged at that. A cool breeze ruffled my blanket.
"Meh, Leone will be awake all night after what he did earlier. Got him a little wound up."
"Okay, if you're sure."
"Good night, your Highness," I toned with a note of finality and humor. He would try to argue otherwise if I let him.
"Good night, James," He said after sighing. I stepped out of the den and spotted Kovu laying against the base of Pride Rock's peak.
"Mind if I join you?" He jumped, nearly getting to his feet.
"Oh! James." There was a bit of wariness in his eyes. I stopped and put my foot back down, raising an eyebrow.
"Zira really put the fear of man in you, didn't she?" He looked rather uncomfortable with his paws shuffling.
"She um…" I held up a hand.
"No, it's fine. You don't have to talk about it." I sat against the rock, watching as the stars slowly winked into place. "If you expected him to trust you after saving Kiara's life, you jumped to the wrong conclusion."
"I shouldn't have expected it to happen immediately." He looked at one paw and curled it, his claws poking out.
"You're young." I shuffled a little when a small rock dug into my back. "Given time you'll see that trust is earned, not taken."
"What can I do?" His question seemed honest as he straightened up a little.
"Nothing stupid." I snorted at the look he gave me. "Look, with where you're coming from, and who you're related to, it's going to take a while. Simba took a long time to trust me, and his father is the entire reason I'm here. Be patient, keep your head down," I looked towards the den, nearly able to see inside despite the darkness, "And whatever you do, stay away from Kiara."
"The princess?" My head snapped around.
"Don't think I didn't catch those glances you were giving her." He stiffened, his tail lifting up to smack against the floor once.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He lifted his chin. I rolled my eyes.
"Lioness in need of rescue and a male her age happens to be nearby? It's like a storybook for children." He just looked confused.
"What's a, storybook?" I waved him off.
"Human thing. Point stands, it's best to keep your distance. Any hint of you even thinking about her, and you'll be sent packing by not only Simba, but Leone as well. And I can only stop one of them." Kovu must have been confused by the mention of the Bey, given his expression.
"Leone?" A light smile played across my lips.
"He's possessive of everyone he claims as part of his pride. And believe me, Kiara is held very close to him. He watched over her as a cub." I noted a few constellations that had appeared in the sky. It was mid-summer by this point, so Leone's constellation wouldn't be as easy to see.
"Of course, he's not the one I have a good chance of stopping. But, if you're not here to hurt anyone, we'll get along swimmingly. Sleep well, Kovu." I shuffled around until I was laying against the wall. I could practically feel his uneasy stare. The playful smile creased evilly in the corners of my mouth, unseen by the teen lion. Leone rumbled in amusement, having been watching the whole time. I rested well, comforted by the fact that I had my own version of a guardian angel watching over me.
Also the fact that Kovu wasn't going to sleep easy after what I said.