Heavy is the Head [Kion] ✔️

[1]

CHAPTER ONE
heartache

The world seemed dark.

It never had before.

Kion stared at the ceiling of the cavern, analyzing each and every detail of the rocky roof: every nook of the stone, every dent in the rock, every chink of the corners, all in an attempt to distract himself. Still, Kion found his mind straying back to that day: that battle, that fight, that moment— he relived it on an endless, torturous loop. The roaring of the lionesses, the slashing of claws, the gathering of the clouds... the water racing down through the gorge, taking his sister with it.

"Kiara!"

Kion shut his eyes in an attempt to rid himself of the thoughts. It was in vain; it would replay again in his mind anyway. His new scar, two thick lines racing across his left eye, throbbed at the memories.

"Kion! Help—!"

Turning away from the roof, Kion lay on his side, now analyzing the ground. It was covered in specks of dirt and loose pebbles. It looked like him: without purpose. Just a pointless... blob... in the world. Unable and unwilling to do anything.

"Hold on Kiara!"

Kion wanted to lie there forever and stare into the abyss of nothingness. An eternal punishment — one given to him for murdering his own sister.

"No!"

Kion finally pulled himself up into a sitting position. His eyes felt heavy with sleep despite not having done a single thing during the day. So he just gazed out at the sunshine. It seemed so bright outside— unfairly so. Why did the sun get to rise that day when Kiara couldn't? Why did he have to wake up that morning whilst Kiara spent the rest of eternity at the bottom of a ravine?

It was all so wrong. So dark and so wrong.

Kiara is— was the life of the party. Not only because she was a princess and heir to the throne, but because she was kind. Full of heart and courage. His big sister.

It was as though history had repeated itself.

You see, this had happened before, long ago. In fact, before Kion was even born. He had had an older brother by the name of Kopa, who died as a cub in a freak accident. According to his sister's stories, Kopa had been the life of the party. Kion briefly wondered how on earth Kiara had dealt with Kopa's death, how she woke up every morning with a smile on her face. It seemed impossible to him. Perhaps it was that Kiara hadn't been directly responsible for it.

No. The outsiders had been responsible then.

Just as they were now.

Zira was just as guilty as Kion himself.

"Zira, give me your paw."

"Kiara, leave her!"

"Zira, come on! I'll help you!"

Kion groaned, holding his head and releasing a low growl of anger. He stomped outside into the sunlight, ignoring the whispers that followed him as he left Pride Rock. Lionesses, elephants, even the damned birds were talking about him, about his failure.

Kion shook his head roughly and jumped into a sprint, no particular destination in mind. He dodged boulders and trees and the stray baboon that came upon his path. He didn't even stop to greet Fuli, who watched him pass with an expression of sympathy.

When he finally stopped, it was only because he was out of breath. He found himself at the edge of the lands, standing on the side of the dry ravine. Any of the deadly water that had remained after the battle had been sucked up by the sun, and Kion was glad for it. He looked down the gorge, tempting the heavens to show him the body of his sister lying somewhere there; there was nothing but the stump of a once great tree left behind.

He stayed there long after the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the moon had taken its place. The stars twinkled down at him almost mockingly, like the Great King's saying: "You thought you could have it all!"

With one last glance into the gorge, Kion turned to leave.

He was the once-great-tree.

Now there was only a stump left behind.

*

"You see, all the creatures in the kingdom exist together in a delicate balance. All depend on..."

His father's words went through one ear and out the other in the same second. It was supposed to be his 'kingly training' but Kion simply couldn't find it within himself to pay attention. This wasn't his role, wasn't his job. He should be out there on patrol with the guard, protecting the animals instead of learning how to control them. That's what a king does: control.

He followed his father down the path. It was rocky and uneven, leading nowhere in particular. After a few steps, Simba swerved to the side, leading them up to a large oak tree that towered over a pond. The king sat down beneath it and gestured for Kion to do the same. He started another story, "When your great-great grandfather was king, there was a long drought that dried up all the lands in the region. This was before even your great-grandmother Uru was born. Mohatu had excellent negotiating skills and used them to help create drinking schedules for the herds. That way, no one species felt more important than another and peace was kept until the season changed and the rains came again."

Kion already knew all these stories, but he endulged Simba nonetheless. "Even the small animals?"

Simba nodded. "Yes, even them."

The two fell into silence after that. It happened regularly, these silences. Kion did not remember them being as frequent before... before Kiara's death.

Kion cleared his throat. A question was -and had been- burning in the back of his throat all afternoon.

"Dad," he started slowly, "can you tell me about Kopa?"

Kopa; the brother he never knew. The first of his siblings to die.

Simba froze, body going rigid. The king had grown old over the past four months; the front strands of his mane had turned grey and his eyes were heavy with grief, rimmed with red. Kion could tell his father was exhausted, but could not find it within himself to try and ease Simba's load; Kion was barely staying upright with his own set of responsibilities.

Kion frowned, however, at receiving no response. "Dad? Are you—?"

Simba's sigh cut him off. The older lion hung his head, "Perhaps another day, son."

"But—"

"I said no!"

The young lion shrank back before nodding. "Sorry," he whispered.

Simba sighed once more. "Don't be. Just- Rafiki is going to begin preparing for your Crown Prince ceremony."

"What?" Kion nearly yelled, eyes flying wide open. "Dad, I'm not ready-"

"There will be plenty of time for you to prepare after the ceremony. You won't be king just yet."

"Then why the rush?" Kion continued pestering as Simba stood and started on the path back to Pride Rock, his son at his heels. Simba shifted uncomfortably in his step. Kion noticed. "Dad, what are you planning?"

The king sighed and paused, turning to Kion. "Your sister... Kiara was engaged to a prince from another kingdom. She and this prince were to be married soon after her first hunt but... anyway, the point is, the deal with that kingdom is still going to be honored."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Kion asked, horrified.

"I am saying that you'll be married within the year."

"What?! Dad, I can't—"

Simba sighed, as though this weighed down on him just as heavily as it did on Kion. "You don't have a choice. I'm sorry, Kion. It's the way things are now."