Wokovu: Kovu's Journey

[YFWE]

Firstly, a late thanks for the feedback, everyone!

Sure been a while since I updated this, eh? Finally picked it back up; hopefully I can set out to do everything I originally planned on doing.

I should also note that this is the first writing fanfic-wise I've done since the last update, so I may be a bit rusty, LOL. I apologize.

Wokovu: Kovu’s Journey
Chapter 3: Hunters

It was a magnificent day for a hunt.

The bright orange sun had risen to a spot directly over the Serengeti, its warm rays gloriously announcing midday to all who would take notice. There was only a slight breeze, enough to escape the raw heat that would’ve ascended from the ground otherwise. Impermanent flocks of birds weaved around and about, to and fro, one second at the apex of the sky and hidden in the intense light of the sun, and another moment swooping low over the calm oasis waters without missing a beat.

Simba grinned, his teeth glinting in the sun’s beams. He turned to Kiara, who returned the affection eagerly. Kovu slunk beside her, his gaze lowered to the ground, pretending to take vivid interest in the swarms of ant colonies that scattered below his paws, upset at the intrusion by these three kingly beasts but at the same time grateful for the momentary shade they received on behalf of the passing lions.

They had been walking for a while; Pride Rock was now simply just another part of the scenery, albeit a very large part. Still, no one had spoken yet, and Kovu secretly wished someone would…it would provide his mind a diversion from the internal struggles he was experiencing.

Some hunt this’ll be, Kovu thought. Can’t even enjoy it like I should. I should never have…

Finally, Simba spoke. “So, Kovu… I take it you’ve never hunted on these grounds before?”

“Wha?” Kovu looked up suddenly, eyes blinking rapidly for a few moments as if he were snapping out of a long trance, which garnered him a thoughtful look from Kiara. “Oh! Uh… erm… yeah, never. First time,” he added with a weak grin.

Simba eyed him for a few moments, his gaze piercing into Kovu as if searching him, and for a brief moment Kovu was sure that he had been discovered, that he would be unable to delay telling Simba of the danger he was in. But to his relief, Simba’s gaze softened, his mouth upturned into a prideful grin. “Well, I’d say you’re in for a real treat. The conditions are near-perfect today, and the Pride Lands stretch over easily the most abundant parts of the land. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from coming out here more often!”

Kovu shot him a half-amused grin, which Kiara once again noticed. It did not seem to faze Simba, however, who saw it as a brilliant opportunity to launch into a long dialogue concerning the history of the grounds they had set foot upon. Apparently, Kiara had already heard this speech numerous times, for instead of taking interest, she stalked over to Kovu’s left side and whispered dully, “Okay, what’s the matter?”

Kovu kept his gaze centered toward Simba and spoke out of the corner of his mouth, “What do you mean? Shouldn’t we be listening to…”

“You’ve been acting really funny since last night, don’t think I haven’t noticed. Something’s on your mind. Don’t lie to me.”

“I told you, it’s nothing,” replied Kovu through gritted teeth.

“Kovu…”

A thought finally came to Kovu, and without missing a beat he said, “It’s just nerves, okay?”

“Nerves?” asked Kiara bemusedly. “What do you…”

“Kiara, I’m the heir to the throne of Pride Rock, I wasn’t until just recently, and I’m out hunting with my future father-in-law. How do you expect me to feel? …gleeful?”

“Are you two even listening?!” Simba had paused, having noticed that the two young lions were conversing on the side during the grand speech his father (and his father’s father, ad infinitum) had once given to him seasons before concerning the great ”˜Circle of Life’ they all were a part of. Kiara sauntered back to her original spot on Kovu’s right, nearer her father. “Sorry, daddy,” she said quickly, shooting an unconvinced stare at Kovu that she made sure he saw, before turning an ear toward the king of the Pride Lands, who curtly continued with his story. Kovu could not help but feel that his little white lie had not fooled his mate, and so as Simba’s story continued, he could not help but daydream once again, drifting into a state of concentration as he contemplated the events ahead.

Great, now Kiara suspects something’s up, he thought. But I can’t tell her what’s wrong, especially with Simba here. I just hope Vitani can end up holding her at bay tomorrow.

He had originally looked forward to this hunt, it being the final, precious hours he would be able to spend with Kiara before his departure into the great unknown of the Serengeti. And now… even something as simple as happiness with his love had become damaged by his inability to mask the guilt he was feeling in full force.

Yeah, a magnificent day for a hunt indeed.

xXxXxXx

At long last, the lioness had reached the edge of the Pride Lands, already having traveled far past the boundaries of the Outlands. No one ever came out this far from the Pride Lands; the lioness knew this quite well. Finally, at long last, she was delving into far more welcoming territory rather than that infernal stink that followed one wherever and whenever one was “where the light touches.” Where the light touches. What a joke, said the lioness named Jasusi.

The terrain had become far rockier, which suited the sleek lioness perfectly. She leapt from rock to rock, her pale, matted fur brushing against the sides of overly large boulders as she performed acrobatic bounds across the rough terrain, finally pausing at the base of a large, mountain-like rock structure. She grinned, gazing up at the imposing edifice before ambling to the side, darting around the rock as if she were running some sort of time trial.

Jasusi slowed her pace a few moments later, eyes transfixed ahead of her. Yes… yes, here we are. This is the place.

She had reached a gigantic split in the mountain. While the two sides still rose up to a towering height, a gorge had fashioned itself between these two apexes. It was a dark place; rarely did the sun shine straight into the gorge. A singular patch of grass and trees sat next to a central oasis of water, but otherwise the place was a barren wasteland of jutting rock.

Jasusi’s eyes narrowed. Far down into the gorge and into one of the towering, mountainous walls was a small hole that the lioness took to be the entrance of a cave. And just as she had expected, a tiny figure was sprawled just inside the opening…a lion, Jasusi had no doubt. She smiled. The place had been found.

A scraggly-looking vulture was grounded nearby, scanning the dusty grounds for a source of food. Jasusi spotted the bird and, grinning, sauntered over to the animal. “Good day, my feathered friend,” the lioness said slyly.

The vulture, without even looking up at the approaching lioness, replied, “yeah, yeah, wha’ th’ heck d’you wan’? Y’see I’m busy here?”

“Ah, yes… busy… quite fascinating,” said Jasusi, adding a pronounced yawn. “Right. Do me a favor, my friend, won’t you?” She eyed the vulture, who continued to scuttle about.

“Sorry, ain’t interested,” retorted the bird, who stretched his wings, as if about to take flight. “Don’ mess with th’ lions an’ they don’ mess with me. Ev’ry animal fer his or herself out here, so why don’ you…”

The bird was suddenly knocked to the ground, a clawed paw against his throat, holding him in place. The vulture began to choke and cough, his eyes staring up pleadingly at the lioness hovering above him.

Jasusi leaned her head down low, to a spot conspicuously close to the bird’s struggling head. “Now,” the lioness breathed, “I don’t believe I gave you a choice in the matter, did I? Didn’t say please.” She got even closer to the bird’s face, her hot breath bearing down on him. “I want you,” she began, “to go down to that cave of lions, the Matapeli, and deliver to them a little message for me. Could you do that, my friend? I see you nodding… see, this isn’t so hard, is it? I want you to tell the Matapeli that I bring a message from Zira, of the Outlands. They will know who Zira is, ah yes.”

She looked up for a moment, thoughtful; the bird continued to struggle and gasp beneath her. “Hmmm… yes, tell them to meet me here, unless they are so kind as to welcome me into their humble abode. I have rather urgent news for them. Yes, I think that will be all.” The lioness began to loosen her grip on the vulture’s neck, allowing the bird to breathe once more. He coughed and gasped stridently, brushing himself off before giving the lioness a look of utmost fear. He turned toward the gorge, preparing himself to fly to the distant cave. But before he could, a large paw came down on his back, pinning him to the ground.

“Oh… and one more thing,” added Jasusi, once again lowering herself to the bird’s struggling head once more. “Tell them,” she grinned, teeth bared, “it concerns Simba.”

xXxXxXx

Kovu was relieved when they returned to Pride Rock later that day, for the hunt was finally over and he could finally, somehow, avoid the accusing stares Kiara would throw in his general direction every so often. Their hunt had certainly been successful; Kiara herself had taken down at least seven antelope, soundly outdoing Kovu’s mere three. But it was food nonetheless; the Pride would eat well that night.

The enticement of food provided a distraction unlike any other for the young lion, for when living creatures are presented with food of any type, especially the lions of Pride Rock, nothing else matters. Kovu laid beside Vitani, explaining to her the events of the hunt that day and the implications they might have on Kiara and her disposition to try to know what Kovu was up to.

“That’ll make it harder,” said Vitani, digging into an antelope’s leg. “But I think I can hold her off.”

“You think?”

Vitani laughed. “Look, obviously she knows something’s not right with you, but if I tell her that you’re off ”˜finding yourself’ or whatever your excuse is going to be, is that really going to raise any problems for her? I mean, aside from the obvious,” she added through a mouthful of antelope.

“I just hope you know what you’re doing…” said Kovu with a sigh, glancing across the cave at Kiara, who was nestled near her mother, picking at the ribcage of another freshly-killed antelope. “I can’t have her follow me. I just can’t.”

“You’re leaving tonight, then?”

“Once everyone’s asleep.”

“Good, good,” murmured Vitani. She got to her feet. “I’ll need to let the Outlander lionesses know the plan, then. So if I don’t see you…” for a moment there was a look of concern in her gaze, but it quickly turned to a look of approval, “give ”˜em hell.”

The evening slowly wore down. Stuffed from a rather hearty meal, the best one they had had in weeks, the lions had begun to turn in for the evening, taking their places along the rocky walls of the cave, one by one drifting off to sleep. Kovu took his place next to Kiara, shooting her a weak grin as he did so. The lioness did nothing to acknowledge this, turning on her back to where she was facing away from her mate. Kovu let out a small sigh, heaving himself to the ground. It has to be this way, he thought. I gotta remember that. It has to be this way.

Within an hour, all had fallen asleep but Kovu. Feeling blessed for having chosen a sleeping spot so close to the mouth of the cave and away from obstacles in the form of other sleeping lions, Kovu slowly arose, taking great care as to not make a sound. How lucky he was that he was not on the best terms with Kiara, he reflected, for she had not fallen asleep against him as she so often had before. Tonight, she would not even notice his sudden departure.

Kovu crept to the mouth of the cave, as quiet as a four hundred pound, young adult lion could be. Finally, he was out into the night, and he sped up a bit, though still making sure he did not make any dim-witted mistakes. He bounded down the side of Pride Rock and out onto the grounds, at long last out of earshot of the rest of the Pride. It was a cool evening; the moon was out, though its light was obstructed by a few unsystematic clouds every so often. Everything was quiet, serene and peaceful. Kovu gave a great sigh of longing. He would miss these nights, the stolen hours of the evening walking with Kiara, gazing up at the night sky and its unending star formations. Oh, how he missed them already. For a fleeting moment, he had the urge to run back to Pride Rock, to safety, to Kiara. But the young lion shook this off soundly.

There would be no more of these nights for him, for Kiara or for anyone else at Pride Rock if he didn’t succeed. He had to find Jasusi, had to put an end to whatever plan his mother had enacted before her death. The fate of many depended upon his success or his failure. It had to be done.

As the lion walked further and further into the night, away from Pride Rock, he was unaware of a pair of eyes watching him from a faraway baobab tree. From inside his tree home, the shaman Rafiki watched Kovu slink across the Pride Lands, and at a very late hour. This certainly puzzled Rafiki; why would the young lion do such a thing? He would have to consult with the old Kings.

END CHAPTER

That's it, then! Kinda got some of the dust shaken off, LOL. Hope you liked it. C: And at any rate, a heartfelt thanks to anyone who took their time to read it.

Let's hope I can provide an update a bit quicker next time, eh?

~YFWE

[KiarasMate]

Absolutely amazing YFWE. I just adore your writing style. your attention to detail, story progression and characteristics for each and every part of your story is just simply spot on. I can't even find a single thing to critique you on, and that's saying a lot, cause I typically at least find one or two things to point out, but this was pure perfection in my eyes. Okay, I think there was maybe 1 typo...lol, yup, that's all I got. lol. I truely am looking forward to reading more of this amazing Fan Fic my friend and hope that you will continue it when you have time. Seriously, you rock!

[YFWE]

Thanks for the feedback, KM! <3 Definitely means a lot when someone calls something you've done 'pure perfection.' Brightens one's evening more than you can understand. =] And I think I found the typo you were talking about, LOL. It seems like I always have at least one odd one like that in whatever I do. Thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for the read once again!

[KiarasMate]

You're most welcome my friend. ^^ It's not everyday that I get to read something that well written so you totally deserve all the praise. lol, I still find some rare typos in my oldest Fan Fics whenever I re-read them for inspiration, so I know what you mean. lol.

[CommandoTheLion]

this story is awesome ^^ cannot wait till more xD

[YFWE]

Thanks again, guys! Here's a little something new... originally planned on it being done a while back, but I hit a bit of a wall with this one. I ended up cutting out a scene altogether at the end because I was excited to get it finished, LOL. That scene'll pop up next chapter, I imagine. Anyway, here we go. Hope y'all enjoy. C:


Wokovu: Kovu’s Journey
Chapter 4: Koko and Bidii


The light of the moon shimmered on the surface of the tiny pool of water, a calming and placid complement to the wasteland of rock and dirt that surrounded it. It was midnight, and the large gorge was nearly silent, save for the occasional chirrup of a miniscule insect.

A flickering flame burned nearby, barely inside the small cave of the Matapeli. The glow it emitted was dim, and yet sufficient. The outlines of many lions and lionesses were visible, though only their heads could be clearly viewed. Close by, trapped in the skeleton of a long-dead zebra, was a dejected-looking vulture, its gaze to the ground. The lioness Jasusi reclined nearby, her tail lazily brushing against the skeleton every so often.

Furthest into the cave sat an elderly lion, his faded brown mane matted and patchy. His eyes were implanted on Jasusi, as if studying the outsider. Jasusi returned the stare curtly, a slight smirk spread across her muzzle.

“So,” spoke the lion finally. “So. First, the noble lion and my close friend, Scar, was murdered….” He stood, his left hind leg wobbling as he did so, and began to stalk around the small flame. “…and now you’re telling me that his gracious mate and devoted adherent…and my beloved sister…Zira… is now dead too?”

“That’s right,” Jasusi said succinctly. “I was instructed to watch from afar in case the worst occurred and to find help if it did. Which brings me to your humble abode, Katili, my friend.”

Katili grunted, stealing a long glance out the cave’s mouth and at the glimmering oasis water. He hung his head low, what was left of his mane falling down over his eyes. “You claim Simba is responsible for Zira’s death?”

“Him and his wretched daughter. Pity they’ll let anyone reproduce these days.”

“…and you want the Matapeli to help retake the Pride Lands…”

Jasusi nodded. “Don’t act like you don’t want it either. Simba’s ancestors banished yours long ago. You have as much a right to those lands as he does.”

There was a glint in Katili’s eye as he turned to Jasusi. “It’s tempting,” he said, sauntering over to the lioness, “ah, is it tempting. Especially given… well, the legend.”

The lioness’s ears perked up immediately. “The legend, you say? Whatever might you be referring to, my dear Katili?”

Katili grinned showily. “Ah, of course, you wouldn’t know of such a thing. ”˜Twas my ancestors who passed the story down to their children, and then the same to their own children, and so forth. They told of an object of unimaginable power, blessed by the great shaman Mlezi, that is kept in the Pride Lands. It has been lost for many, many seasons, ever since the good shaman’s death. Whoever controls it is granted the power of the kings.”

“Katili, my friend, you have intrigued me,” said Jasusi. “Please, please, do tell me more.”

“With pleasure.”

xXxXxXx

Pride Rock was barely visible against the night sky now. Kovu had been walking for miles in the dead of the evening, the only stirring creature for as far as the eye could see. Moonlight provided some luminosity that evening, though the grounds were still mostly jet black and comatose. Kovu did not mind this, of course. The less to see him leave, the better.

Already he was tired, though he could not stop and rest, of course, as enticing as the thought was. Jasusi could be anywhere at that point… she could even be on the way back to the Pride Lands with an entire army of lions poised to kill. Rest was not an option.

Kovu leapt up the rocks to the gorge into which his mother had fallen to her death. He thought fleetingly of her, of the hatred that had consumed her and the envy that ultimately killed her, as well as of the affection she had shown him when he was a cub. There were deep memories here; he could spend hours reminiscing here by the gorge and nearby, in the Outlands. But there was no time for that. He found, instead, the spot Vitani had reported seeing Jasusi run off before the fight. It was just on the other side of the gorge. Kovu did not need to cross right now necessarily, as long as he stayed true to the direction Jasusi had gone in.

The ground leveled out, and soon Kovu was past the gorge, once again treading on the dirt terrain, off into areas of the Pride Lands he had yet to even set paw in. His only hope was that Jasusi, when she had run off, had continued in that direction, else he was in deep, deep trouble.

I have no idea where I’m going, the young lion thought, staring dejectedly at the ground. After another few minutes of walking, he finally paused underneath a tree, sighing and slumping to the ground. “I can’t do this,” he said softly. “I’m gonna be completely lost… I may never even find my way back…”

This much was true. Having stepped into a land so far away from his homelands, from the places he’d known his entire life, there was almost no way he would be able to find his way back if he went further. What if he ended up getting so far off Jasusi’s track that she passed him on her way to the Pride Lands? What if he returned to the Pride Lands, finally, to find that the Pride had already been attacked? What if he came back and found that Simba and Kiara… were….

This was on Kovu to rectify. The problem was, the lion was finding, that the likelihood of him even finding Jasusi…let alone stopping her…was diminishing with each passing second.

A tear rolled down Kovu’s cheek. He looked to the sky, searching the stars, as if the answers to his problems were there. Internally, he wished that he, like Rafiki, could speak to the supposed “great kings of the past”… if they would even talk to them. Yeah, right, Kovu shook off this notion. Like they’d talk to me. I’m not a king, I’m not worthy. Look at the mess I’ve gotten us into…

There was a rustling nearby; Kovu jumped up, alert and ready to act, his heart pounding against his chest. “Who’s there?” he called out into the night. His eyes darted around wildly, his pulse hammering in his head. “Show yourself!” he called.

Nearby, Kovu could clearly hear voices. A hissing noise, like someone trying to shush another, was noticeable, and a quick whisper could be heard shortly after.

“I said,” called Kovu again, hints of impatience in his trembling, yet stern voice, “show yourself!” The hushed voices continued, but no figures did appear in the shadows.

Kovu began to creep forward, taking care as to not make a sound. A large boulder was nearby, a few paces into the darkness. The whispers seemed to be coming from there.

Without giving another warning, Kovu leapt atop the boulder, a guttural growl emitting from his throat, his features twisted into an imposing snarl. Within moments, however, his face softened, soon to the point where his mouth had downturned into a grimace.

Two small creatures lay cowering in front of him, gripping each other tightly. A slight whine was coming from one of the small animals…it was the larger of the two, and had a long tail and canine-like ears. The smaller creature was largely hidden from view by its companion, who had its leg wrapped firmly around it.

Kovu realized he was looking down at an African wild dog…and a young one at that, judging by its size…and another smaller creature. He sighed. They were more frightened of him than he was of them, no doubt…certainly no threat to his safety. “Hey, hey, heeey,” he said calmly, “I’m not gonna hurt you guys. It’s okay, it’s okay…”

The dog’s ears picked up slightly. It raised its head to look up at the towering lion with shining hazel eyes. It moved its paw, revealing the other creature, a plump little hyrax, which quickly darted behind its cohort.

Kovu forced a grin. “Sorry to get all jumpy there. Thought you guys might’ve been… something else.”

The dog shrugged. “Y-yeah, it happens,” it…a female, Kovu discovered upon hearing its voice…stuttered. “We’re not out t-to cause any t-trouble or anything, sir. We were just passing through…”

“It’s fine,” Kovu grinned warmly and in relief. “I’m just passing through myself. My name’s Kovu. I come from Pride Rock,” he jerked his head back behind him, in the direction of the stone edifice.

“Koko,” the dog replied. “I’m Koko. This is Bidii. We’re… we’re out on our own…”

“Why’s that?” asked Kovu.

Koko looked down dejectedly. “I don’t wanna talk about it…”

Kovu frowned. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. He felt bad for asking, but he was curious; Koko was not a pup by any means, but she was certainly nowhere near an adult.

The hyrax, Bidii, began to whisper quickly from behind Koko, who cocked her head toward to the side to better hear the animal. She nodded, seeming to agree with whatever Bidii had said, and turned back to Kovu. “S-sir… I’m sorry to ask but… you’re not following one of your kind, are you?”

A wave of realization hit Kovu, and he was taken slightly aback. “Why… y-yes, I am, in fact. Why? Have you seen someone?!” he asked, eyes wide.

“Yeah, a few hours ago!” Bidii the hyrax finally stepped out from behind Koko. “Yeah, we saw one, didn’t we, Koko? A lioness! A lioness passed through here not too long ago, just before sunset, didn’t she, Koko, didn’t she? Yeah, a lioness!” Bidii spoke quickly, his words all jumbled and slurred into each other. Koko glanced up at Kovu and simply shrugged and nodded.

Kovu’s eyes narrowed. “Jasusi.” He stared off into the distance. She had come this way; he was on the right path.

“K-kovu?” came Koko’s voice.

“Yeah?”

“You’re tracking that lioness, a-aren’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Koko appeared fidgety. “I don’t mean to stick my nose into other’s business, but… d’you think you’d need help tracking her?”

Kovu considered this for a moment. “Depends. Do you know the area well?”

“Been travelling in it for a couple days… grew up a little ways away… so yeah. Bidii here knows a bit, too.”

They could prove useful, Kovu thought. At least until I find Jasusi… could get ugly… they’re young… wouldn’t want them in danger….

“Promise me one thing,” said Kovu.

“Yeah?” Koko and Bidii said in unison.

“If I tell you to run… promise me you will, okay? No matter the circumstances.”

“Sure, sir… though I don’t see why… is the lioness your enemy?” Koko asked with uncertainty.

“Yeah, your enemy?” added Bidii. “Do you two hate each other, Kovu, sir, do you? Are you going to fight? Are you…”

“I’ll explain later,” smirked Kovu as he stared off into the distance. “Koko, since you know this place, mind picking up Jas…I mean, the lioness’s scent?”

“Yeah, for sure!” the wild dog said eagerly, lowering her snout to the ground. And off she went, stalking the dusty earth as Kovu and Bibii followed close behind. Kovu stifled a yawn, recalling once more his lack of sleep. However, things were finally looking a little more positive…or at least as positive as it was going to get.

Kovu was finally on Jasusi’s trail. Now it was a matter of finding her.

END CHAPTER

Alrighty, that's that, then. Dunno when I'll get another update exactly. I might get into writing a new one soon and I might not... truth be told, I've been interested in trying to learn to RP as of late; never done it before, LOL. So we'll see where that goes.

Thanks for reading!

~YFWE

[Chanzo]

Love the story so far! You have me hooked, look forward to the next chapter. I love your writing style, very enjoyable to read.

[KiarasMate]

Yay! Another epic chapter in one of my favorite Fan Fics! I'm really curious to know what scene you omitted from this chapter YFWE but I suppose I can wait for the next installment to have my question answered. I really like how you introduced the new characters in this chapter, especially Koko and Bidii. ^^ They remind me of Timon & Pumbaa, but obviously you introduced them into the plot for a reason, and not for pointless humor. lol. Sounds like things are picking up on both sides of the story as well and I really am looking forward to reading more of this amazing Fan Fic as you post it buddy. ^^ Keep up the flawless work as always and hope that inspiration of yours stays active, cause I'm already anticipating the next part. lol.

[YFWE]

Thanks for the wonderful, wonderful feedback, everyone. You've no idea how much I appreciate it. C:

Took me long enough, but I have a new chapter here! Hope it's every bit as good as the rest of the story has hopefully been thus far!


Wokovu: Kovu’s Journey
Chapter 5: Morning

Kiara dashed out from the cave atop Pride Rock, onto the promontory, stopping finally at the edge of the cliff, looking out into the breaking dawn. A clutter of varied creatures had begun to stir in the faint light of early morning, none pausing to look up at the seemingly-distressed lioness that stood far above them.

Simba emerged from the cave seconds later, followed by the rest of the Pride. He had a stern look on his face, a far cry from his daughter, whose countenance was downturned in fear and dismay as she gazed out toward the horizon. Kiara turned back to her father, bewildered and unable to say a word, an expectant look spread across her face. The king did not stare back. His gaze had found Vitani, who had meandered to a spot beside the king.

“You swear you speak the truth, then?” Simba asked finally, stealing a quick look Vitani out of the corner of his eye. Vitani nodded tersely.

“No!” Kiara leapt from the edge of the promontory, back to her father and the rest of the Pride. “It’s not true! It can’t be.”

Vitani took a step forward. “You callin’ me a liar?”

“Kovu wouldn’t just leave without telling me!” snapped Kiara. With a hushed voice, she added, “he tells me everything.”

“Obviously not everything since you don’t know the least of what is going on in my brother’s head right now. Get that through your head and give him some space!”

“Enough!” Simba roared. The two lionesses flinched and cowered back, Vitani muttering a quick “sorry” before rejoining the other lionesses. Kiara remained where she stood.

Simba continued, “Kiara… I know how you must feel.” There was a hint of regret in his eyes. “But I also must respect what Kovu has decided, as should the rest of us. I know myself that time spent away to find yourself can work wonders…” he added.

“But daddy…” Kiara started.

“…so if Kovu needs some time off to find himself, then so be it. Besides,” he added with a grin, “what’s there to do around here right now anyway?”

“Gee, I dunno, besides spend time with me?” Simba’s daughter was obviously still irate about the situation.

“Mind your father, Kiara!” Nala stepped out from the crowd of lionesses and to Simba’s side.

“It’s not fair!”

Kiara ran past her parents and the other lions, down the side of Pride Rock, and off into the surrounding grounds. “Kiara!” Simba had started to follow her, but Nala sided in front of her mate, stopping him from moving further. “Let her go,” she mused.

The other lionesses sidled back into the cave. The sun had finally risen to the point where it was fully visible, and the sky had finally begun to take on its familiar blue tint. It was a cloudless morning. No breeze. Already the deep chasm of the cave seemed inviting, given how warm it was promising to be.

“I don’t get it,” Simba ambled to the edge of the promontory, looking over the bustling activity of morning in the savanna. “She seems angry at me over this.” He turned to Nala, clearly puzzled. “What did I do?”

Nala smiled warmly, brushing her head against her mate’s mane. “You did nothing. It’s just… well, you know how our daughter can get.”

“I guess,” said Simba through gritted teeth. He paused for a few moments, staring into the sky. “I gotta say, though… Nala, have you noticed Kovu acting… odd lately?”

Laughing, Nala replied, “We knew coming in that Kovu would much rather keep to himself than mingle with the rest of us, except for Kiara, of course. The boy rarely talks to me. If he’s acting weird, I would be one of the last to know.”

“I know that. Still… he seemed distant yesterday during our hunt. Kiara’s a great hunter, don’t get me wrong, but she doubled Kovu’s take. And they were whispering about something at first, and Kiara ignored him for the rest of the hunt. Uncharacteristic, if you ask me.”

“Hmm,” mused Nala. “Maybe you’re right. We can only hope that whatever Kovu’s problems are, he can solve them off by himself. Wherever he’s going….”

Simba nodded and, without another word, strode away from Nala. He bounded down the side of Pride Rock, in the direction of where Kiara had run off. He would need to find her eventually, though perhaps she would return under her own conscience anyway. Nonetheless, Kiara needed to see that this was not his fault. For it had not been, right? There had been nothing he could do to stop Kovu going… right?

Wherever Kovu was then, Simba merely hoped that he knew where he was going and what he was doing, and that he knew his way back. He knew his daughter, and he knew that her restlessness would be unbearable eventually. And he most certainly could not risk her running off after the boy. He would not allow it.

But what could be Kovu’s problem? Had the death of his mother hit him harder than the lion had first given off?

Simba would have to consult with Rafiki about this.

xXxXxXx

The dirt ground felt warm under Kovu’s paws, an inviting addition to the morning considering the chilly night he had previously endured. A family of birds had taken to flying directly above him, as if providing a sort-of welcoming committee for the young lion; or, perhaps they were attempting to guide him.

Whatever their reasons for circling overhead, whether it was mere coincidence or not, Kovu certainly did not mind, for in that day and age, any company was good company. At least for the time being.

Not that Kovu was alone anyway. As the lion sauntered tenaciously through the Serengeti, the two much smaller creatures known as Koko and Bidii lumbered in front of him, the tinier Bidii having taken up a spot riding on Koko’s back. The African wild dog still had her nose near the ground, as she continued to follow the lioness known as Jasusi’s scent.

Slowly but surely, however, the pace the trio had set at first just hours before had considerably lessened. This was only natural; Kovu had not had any sleep in nearly a day now, and he assumed the same about Koko and Bidii.

Koko stopped suddenly, throwing her head back in a pronounced yawn. Kovu, having been focused on the birds overhead, did not see this, and walked right onto Koko’s tail. The wild dog yelped in pain, rolling to her side, the hyrax Bidii falling off her back and onto the ground. “Sorry!” Kovu cried jumping off Koko’s tail. “I wasn’t… paying attention.”

“N-n-no,” the wild dog stood and examined her tail. “My f-fault, sir. I shouldn’t have y-y-yaaaawned.” The thought of yawning had once again brought Koko into another yawn herself.

“Seriously, Koko, you can stop calling me sir. I’m probably not that much older than you.”

“Yes, s…I mean, Kovu,” Koko grinned sheepishly. “I’m just… so tired…”

Kovu sighed. “I am too. But we can’t stop… I have to catch that lioness. Do you understand?”

Koko nodded, though her eyelids were half-closed. “F-find the lioness. Right. Yeeeaaaaaah,” she yawned again.

The talk of sleep had seemingly triggered something in Kovu, as he stifled a yawn himself. He looked in the distance. The sun had barely risen, so it was still early in the morning. Could they possibly spare a few hours for rest? If they awakened around midday, they would be able to travel until the early morning the next day, and if Jasusi was resting in the evening, then surely they would have a chance to catch her. After all, as far as Kovu knew, Jasusi was not aware that she had been spotted taking off. The lioness may have had no idea she was being trailed, and if this was the case, she would not be in any rush.

“You know,” Kovu started again, “a short rest would not be bad. You guys are obviously tired, and I won’t be able to travel much longer without sleep. What do you say?”

“That sounds like a great idea!” grinned Koko weakly. “Bidii hasn’t said anything to me in a while now… you know he’s about to pass out when he gets to that point since he’s pretty much talking my ears off any other time.”

They looked over. Bidii had fallen asleep in the exact spot he had rolled to when he had fallen off of Koko’s back.

“I guess that settles that,” Kovu held back a laugh at the snoring hyrax, whose mouth was hanging open lazily, a small pool of drool collecting on the ground. “We’ll rest. But just for a few hours, okay? I think we’ve made great progress so far, and I don’t wanna lose too much to the lioness I’m following. Understand?”

Koko nodded sleepily. “K-kovu?”

“Yeah?”

“J-just out of curiosity… you said you’d explain… why you’re followin’ this lioness…”

“And I will,” Kovu grinned, “when we’re a little more awake. Let’s find a nice place to stop for now, okay?”

Kovu stared off into the distance. On the horizon, there was a large mountain-like structure of rock, which appeared to be split down the middle. A small grouping of trees stood nearby, and from Kovu’s vantage point it was obvious that the area was particularly abundant with shade. He looked back down at Koko and nodded in its direction. The wild dog trotted over to the still-sleeping Bidii. She grabbed the hyrax in her teeth and flung him on her back with surprising strength.

The grouping of trees was only a short way away. Once they were within the gracious shade of the trees, Koko slowly lowered her back to the ground, rolling Bidii off gently. The hyrax awoke for a moment. Yawning, he sidled up next to Koko, rubbing against and into her spotted fur. The wild dog, eyes narrowed and heavy with sleep, raised her arm and covered the tiny hyrax with her foreleg, her paw covering Bidii’s face. She lowered her head, resting it on her own leg, and seemed, too, to drift off to sleep.

Kovu finally lay down nearby, against one of the trees. He glanced over at the young, sleeping animals and smiled. Koko had been an enormous help thus far. Not that he could not have tracked Jasusi’s scent on his own, but Koko had been a great help in informing Kovu about the area, and it had given Kovu more time to ponder what he would do once he finally met Jasusi.

And yet, Kovu still worried whether bringing them along had been a good idea. For what would happen when he did finally meet Jasusi? What if there were other lions with her? What if… what if he was leading Koko and Bidii to their deaths?

A little ways away, Koko stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she turned around to find Kovu. She saw him, and through slitted eyes, said in a tiny voice, “K-kovu… do you mind… lying next to me? J-just in case, you know…”

Grinning, Kovu stood and promenaded over to Koko and the sleeping Bidii. He lay down next to her, his large body encompassing hers like the sea against the shore. The small dog snuggled up against him, burrowing into his brown fur, and was still again. Kovu laid his head on his paws, smiling, and closed his eyes, allowing the calming feeling of sleep wash over him.

xXxXxXx

Jasusi squinted in the bright sunlight, exiting the cave for the first time that morning. She turned her head, her paw patting the head of the vulture that had led her there. “We’ll be off now, then, Katili!” she called back into the cave. “My warmest regards. Thank you for the riveting story, my friend.”

“Fare thee well, Jasusi!” came Katili’s voice from the edge of the cave. “Do tell me you’ll visit again sometime… perhaps not on such short notice?”

“I will return when the time has come for us to descend upon the Pride Lands, which, if I have understood correctly, you will be along for the journey?”

“Anything for you, love.” Katili’s fanged grin was barely visible in the shadows of the cave.

Jasusi nodded curtly. “Until then.” And she stalked away, the vulture at her side glancing back pleadingly at the cave of the Matapeli. With a quick push with her foreleg, the vulture was thrust ahead of Jasusi. “Forgive me, my friend,” she said. “I want you where I can see you.”

“You don’ need me. I’ve been alla th’ use I could be for you, haven’ I? Why don’ you jus’ let me go?”

“No need to be hasty, my feathered friend,” Jasusi glared at the vulture. “Who knows if I’ll need you for something else?”

They had reached the edge of the gorge. The vulture groaned, and turned on the spot, facing Jasusi. “Sorry,” he said. “I ain’ waitin’ around no more. You lions are all th’ same… you’ll eat me when you get th’ chance.”

“Why, I wouldn’t dream of it,” said Jasusi all-too-lazily.

“Whatever. I got stuff to do. You can go do whatever th’ hell you need to do with th’ Pride Lands or wherever th’ hell you’re goin’. But leave me out of it.”

“Go, then.”

The vulture blinked. “Y’serious?”

Jasusi merely shrugged.

The vulture eyed Jasusi suspiciously, but quickly decided that this was his chance to escape. He once again turned on the spot, wings outstretched, and flapped swiftly, lifting off into the air.

Having flown a mere few feet, the vulture was snatched out of the air, extraordinarily powerful jaws closing around his throat. With a sickening crunch, the bird was wrenched to the ground, bones snapping in the forcefulness of the blow.

Blood swam in the vulture’s eyes. He squinted, seeing the lioness halted above him.

Jasusi licked her blood-covered lips, her paws finding their way to the vulture’s stocky neck.

“You could have been quite useful,” murmured Jasusi. “I regret this.”

And she broke the bird’s neck.

END CHAPTER

Ewwwwwww, violence. :C I hate writing that stuff sometimes.

Anyway, sorry a new update took so long. I've been busy lately with other things, including trying to plan out an original work I'd like to write.

If I don't update before then, everyone have a happy holiday season!!

~YFWE

[KiarasMate]

Woot! This is the closest I'm going to get to an early Christmas present, so thank you YFWE. ^^ I always look forward to new chapters of your amazing story my friend and as always, this one didn't disappoint in the least bit. ^^ Everything is still as flawless as always and the ending was awesome. lol. ^^ You might not like to write that sort of stuff but you do it so well regardless of that fact. lol. It just adds more to Jasusi's character so it wasn't pointless violence. ^^ Your story always leaves me wanting more but I guess I'm just going to have to wait again. hehe. Anyways, keep up the fantastic work my friend and you just keep on amazing me with each new addition to this magnificent Fan Fic of yours. You definitely deserve the Fan Fic Award Nomination I gave ya. lol.