Other Fan Fiction ❯ The Lion King 3: Royal Journey ❯ Departure ( Chapter 20 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: LittleBlue33 
Miscellaneous: Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.19.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 316 | Status: Work In Progress
Miscellaneous: Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.19.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 316 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 20: Departure
While Thresh continued talking with the lionesses who seemed captivated by him, Kiara went to talk to Kovu after he had finished talking to Simba.
"What were you talking to my dad about?" Kiara said as she looked at him. His forlorn eyes moved down to his paws.
"He wants me to go to the Mountain Pride with them." Kovu said sadly. "I can't stay with you."
"Oh, Kovu... It wont be that long of a journey, will it?" Kiara asked optimistically.
"Simba said it would be pretty long."
"You'll be back soon."
"Yeah but…I'll miss you" he said meekly.
"Awww." Kiara said and then nuzzled him. "I'll miss you too."
"What if I don't make it in time for our cub to be born?"
"Don't worry! You'll see Kivu born. I promise."
After only a short time, the hunting party came back and all ate to their fill. Soon, all but Toni, Kiara, Tali and Mani would leave. All were ready to leave, and were waiting for Simba's orders. Simba was having one last talk with Kiara.
"Kiara, you, Toni and the cubs lie low. Don't cause trouble, don't draw attention. For the time we are gone, just make it seem like we abandoned the pride lands. Stay in the den at all times if you can."
Kiara nodded.
"Oh! I've completely forgotten! How idiotic of me... Someone else needs to stay and hunt for you. How could I forget? I should have thought of that before." He turned to his ready pride.
"Who would like to stay behind and catch food for Kiara and the others?"
"I will." Kanai said stepping forward without hesitation. It seemed she was looking for a reason to stay behind with her cubs.
"Good. Kanai, thank you"
Kanai walked over to the remainders. She looked happy to stay with her cubs and friends.
"Are we all ready?" Simba asked his pride.
Everyone nodded. Kovu stepped forward to say goodbye to Kiara.
"Well…bye, Kiara."
"Bye." she said, not knowing what else to say. He licked her cheek. Kiara's eyes started filling up with tears. Would this be the last time she saw him? After Nala said goodbye to her daughter, they were off. After a moment of walking, Kovu took one final look back at Kiara and then Simba gave the signal to start running. And then, they were gone. Kiara sighed. She then was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around.
"You're gonna miss him aren't you?" It was Thresh.
"Thresh!" Kiara said noticing that Thresh's wound on his arm had started bleeding again. "You're bleeding!"
"Oh, yeah, it reopened." He said like it was no big deal.
"You should lie down and wait for it to heal."
"Okay, Your Highness." he said, turning around and going toward his new resting spot. She walked over to him.
"You don't call me that. Kiara will suffice."
Thresh opened his mouth, no doubt to say something smug, but Kanai called Kiara over. She went bounding over to the brown lioness.
Thresh watched her. She was talking excitedly. Why couldn't he take his eye off her?
"It seems so quiet now that everyone's gone." Kanai said to Kiara.
"I kind of like it." Toni said, joining the lionesses. "But then, I guess we have little cubs to take care of."
All three looked down at the cubs sitting at their feet.
"Hey!" Mani said, looking up at Toni. "I'm not little!"
All three lionesses chuckled.
"That's right." Kanai said. "You're a big strong man. And you," she said looking at Tali, "Are a pretty young lady."
Tali beamed. She turned to Mani.
"I'm a pretty lady!"
"I'm a big strong man!" he said deepening his voice and puffing up his chest. "OOH! Tali! Lets play, 'Save the princess.' You'll be the princess, and I'll be the warrior!"
"Yeah!"
Tali and Mani then bounded off to the far side of the cave to play. Tali was yelling, "Save me! Save me!" and Mani replied with a, "I'll save you, princess!" He growled at invisible enemies and swatted at the air.
The three lionesses giggled again at the silly cubs.
"Cute kids" Thresh said from a bit of a distance. He had been listening to their conversation. The three walked over to him and sat. He was laying down, still obeying Kiara's "order."
"They're my kids, and I'm proud of it." Kanai said.
"They are rambunctious ones aren't they?" he asked.
"Yes they are."
"I can't wait until I have my cub!" Kiara said excitedly. "It'll be great."
Thresh looked at Kiara.
So she is with a cub…
"Cubs are a big responsibility. And full of trouble. You have to watch them, and bathe them, and watch them some more…it's a pain sometimes." Kanai said.
Toni and Kiara sighed.
"I can't wait." Kiara said.
"Me either."
"So you ladies are expecting?" Thresh asked.
Toni and Kiara giggled and nodded.
"You're first?"
More nods.
"So, Thresh, do you have cubs back home? Or a mate?" Kanai asked.
"No cubs, but I used to have a mate."
"Used to?" Toni asked.
"She…" he hesitated. "She died." he hung his head.
There was silence. The only sounds heard were Tali and Mani playing several yards over.
"Her name was Lala. I really loved her." he looked up at the sky. "She was my everything. About a year ago…she just collapsed. I said 'Lala, get up. Quit playing around.'"
He lowered his head again.
"She wouldn't get up. She was breathing for a little while, I don't know if she heard me, but I kept telling her it would be okay. She'd be back in my arms the next day. I promised her. Hours later…she died. No one knew what happened or what to do. She was gone."
Kiara could feel her heart breaking. "That's so sad. I'm sorry that happened."
Kanai and Toni nodded sympathetically.
"I couldn't even think about a life without Kovu." Kiara thought. "If I woke up, and he wasn't there, I don't know what I would do." Kiara then remembered that Kovu wasn't there. He was on a journey, going to war. She missed him already and he hadn't even been gone that long. Would he be back in time to see Kivu born? Surely they wouldn't be gone a month?
Thresh's loud sniff brought Kiara out of her thoughts.
"That was a whole year ago. I should be over it by now." He said, trying to wipe away tears.
"No," Toni said. "It's okay to be sad. A loved one is never forgotten."
Kiara nodded and then said, "My grandmother died recently." Kiara said softly. "I know how it hurts."
Kiara leaned down and shortly nuzzled Thresh in confort. Thresh looked at Kiara.
"She looks just like her." he thought. "Sounds and smells like her…My Lala."
"Thanks, Kiara." he said. "I feel better."
He gave her a warm smile. She returned it.
…That smile…
While Thresh continued talking with the lionesses who seemed captivated by him, Kiara went to talk to Kovu after he had finished talking to Simba.
"What were you talking to my dad about?" Kiara said as she looked at him. His forlorn eyes moved down to his paws.
"He wants me to go to the Mountain Pride with them." Kovu said sadly. "I can't stay with you."
"Oh, Kovu... It wont be that long of a journey, will it?" Kiara asked optimistically.
"Simba said it would be pretty long."
"You'll be back soon."
"Yeah but…I'll miss you" he said meekly.
"Awww." Kiara said and then nuzzled him. "I'll miss you too."
"What if I don't make it in time for our cub to be born?"
"Don't worry! You'll see Kivu born. I promise."
After only a short time, the hunting party came back and all ate to their fill. Soon, all but Toni, Kiara, Tali and Mani would leave. All were ready to leave, and were waiting for Simba's orders. Simba was having one last talk with Kiara.
"Kiara, you, Toni and the cubs lie low. Don't cause trouble, don't draw attention. For the time we are gone, just make it seem like we abandoned the pride lands. Stay in the den at all times if you can."
Kiara nodded.
"Oh! I've completely forgotten! How idiotic of me... Someone else needs to stay and hunt for you. How could I forget? I should have thought of that before." He turned to his ready pride.
"Who would like to stay behind and catch food for Kiara and the others?"
"I will." Kanai said stepping forward without hesitation. It seemed she was looking for a reason to stay behind with her cubs.
"Good. Kanai, thank you"
Kanai walked over to the remainders. She looked happy to stay with her cubs and friends.
"Are we all ready?" Simba asked his pride.
Everyone nodded. Kovu stepped forward to say goodbye to Kiara.
"Well…bye, Kiara."
"Bye." she said, not knowing what else to say. He licked her cheek. Kiara's eyes started filling up with tears. Would this be the last time she saw him? After Nala said goodbye to her daughter, they were off. After a moment of walking, Kovu took one final look back at Kiara and then Simba gave the signal to start running. And then, they were gone. Kiara sighed. She then was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around.
"You're gonna miss him aren't you?" It was Thresh.
"Thresh!" Kiara said noticing that Thresh's wound on his arm had started bleeding again. "You're bleeding!"
"Oh, yeah, it reopened." He said like it was no big deal.
"You should lie down and wait for it to heal."
"Okay, Your Highness." he said, turning around and going toward his new resting spot. She walked over to him.
"You don't call me that. Kiara will suffice."
Thresh opened his mouth, no doubt to say something smug, but Kanai called Kiara over. She went bounding over to the brown lioness.
Thresh watched her. She was talking excitedly. Why couldn't he take his eye off her?
"It seems so quiet now that everyone's gone." Kanai said to Kiara.
"I kind of like it." Toni said, joining the lionesses. "But then, I guess we have little cubs to take care of."
All three looked down at the cubs sitting at their feet.
"Hey!" Mani said, looking up at Toni. "I'm not little!"
All three lionesses chuckled.
"That's right." Kanai said. "You're a big strong man. And you," she said looking at Tali, "Are a pretty young lady."
Tali beamed. She turned to Mani.
"I'm a pretty lady!"
"I'm a big strong man!" he said deepening his voice and puffing up his chest. "OOH! Tali! Lets play, 'Save the princess.' You'll be the princess, and I'll be the warrior!"
"Yeah!"
Tali and Mani then bounded off to the far side of the cave to play. Tali was yelling, "Save me! Save me!" and Mani replied with a, "I'll save you, princess!" He growled at invisible enemies and swatted at the air.
The three lionesses giggled again at the silly cubs.
"Cute kids" Thresh said from a bit of a distance. He had been listening to their conversation. The three walked over to him and sat. He was laying down, still obeying Kiara's "order."
"They're my kids, and I'm proud of it." Kanai said.
"They are rambunctious ones aren't they?" he asked.
"Yes they are."
"I can't wait until I have my cub!" Kiara said excitedly. "It'll be great."
Thresh looked at Kiara.
So she is with a cub…
"Cubs are a big responsibility. And full of trouble. You have to watch them, and bathe them, and watch them some more…it's a pain sometimes." Kanai said.
Toni and Kiara sighed.
"I can't wait." Kiara said.
"Me either."
"So you ladies are expecting?" Thresh asked.
Toni and Kiara giggled and nodded.
"You're first?"
More nods.
"So, Thresh, do you have cubs back home? Or a mate?" Kanai asked.
"No cubs, but I used to have a mate."
"Used to?" Toni asked.
"She…" he hesitated. "She died." he hung his head.
There was silence. The only sounds heard were Tali and Mani playing several yards over.
"Her name was Lala. I really loved her." he looked up at the sky. "She was my everything. About a year ago…she just collapsed. I said 'Lala, get up. Quit playing around.'"
He lowered his head again.
"She wouldn't get up. She was breathing for a little while, I don't know if she heard me, but I kept telling her it would be okay. She'd be back in my arms the next day. I promised her. Hours later…she died. No one knew what happened or what to do. She was gone."
Kiara could feel her heart breaking. "That's so sad. I'm sorry that happened."
Kanai and Toni nodded sympathetically.
"I couldn't even think about a life without Kovu." Kiara thought. "If I woke up, and he wasn't there, I don't know what I would do." Kiara then remembered that Kovu wasn't there. He was on a journey, going to war. She missed him already and he hadn't even been gone that long. Would he be back in time to see Kivu born? Surely they wouldn't be gone a month?
Thresh's loud sniff brought Kiara out of her thoughts.
"That was a whole year ago. I should be over it by now." He said, trying to wipe away tears.
"No," Toni said. "It's okay to be sad. A loved one is never forgotten."
Kiara nodded and then said, "My grandmother died recently." Kiara said softly. "I know how it hurts."
Kiara leaned down and shortly nuzzled Thresh in confort. Thresh looked at Kiara.
"She looks just like her." he thought. "Sounds and smells like her…My Lala."
"Thanks, Kiara." he said. "I feel better."
He gave her a warm smile. She returned it.
…That smile…