The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 2: Journey

 The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 2: Journey

The sun was rising over the savanna, its powerful light entered the cave in the Pride Rock gently, bright enough to wake up Kovu and his cubs, and dim enough to make it a peaceful wake. Kovu blinked and let out a great yawn, one of a well rested night, getting over his paws, he then was playfully attacked by Zale on the muzzle, the older of his sons, who had the looks of his grandfather when he was his age, golden furred. Kovu laughed at his son's innocent bump, then his other son, Keru, who looked just like him when he was younger, jumped at his head and gently hit him with his open paws, chuckling, Kovu dropped himself down, sharing the laugh with his two cubs, with his paws facing the rocky ceiling.

"I got you, dad!" Zale rested his paws on Kovu's chest.

Keru bit his mane and started to pull it. "And there's only one wa..." Keru stopped biting as some fur had gotten in his mouth, he coughed a couple of times, provoking a laugh in his father and his older brother. "...there's only one way you'll get out of this!"

Kovu laughed. "And that would be?"

"Oh, come on dad." Zale glared at Keru. "He forgot!"

Kovu let out a subtle laugh, then Keru approached him again and after a quick jump he put his paws over his eyes, forcing him to close them. "No he didn't, he is just trying to fool us, aren't you, daddy?"

Kovu gently moved his son away from him with his paw then after another yawn he fully got over his paws again. "Oh, now I remember." He looked at them both with a smile. "We had a little trip to do today."

"The Ungari Waterfalls!" Both of the cubs exclaimed with excitement.

Kovu looked at the cave's entrance. "Well, maybe in one hour or two, I'm still..." He pretended a yawn. "...very tired."

"No...dad, come on!" Zale bit his front leg and Keru the other, wanting to force him to go.

Kovu let out a chuckle. "Okay, okay just stop bitting or I'll stay here forev..." His cubs rapidly obeyed him and ran towards the exit. He smirked and turned when hearing his mate waking up.

"Where are..." Kiara yawned. "...you taking them now, Kovu?"

"Good morning to you too." Kovu approached her and laid before her. "You wanna come?"

Kiara yawned again, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "You go." She rested her head between her paws. "Just don't lose your sight of them, alright?"

Kovu smirked. "Never." He licked her forehead and stood up again, glancing at her for a brief moment.

"Dad! Come on!" Zale's impatient voice echoed by the cave, then Kovu sighed and turned, finally walking towards his sons, who were already expecting him outside.

The three lions went down the Pride Rock and began their way to the Ungari Waterfalls, which was a special place for Kovu as it was the place where he went to when feeling Scar's rage close to him, that place gave him peace and he wanted the same for his sons, as he feared the lineage that would chase them forever just as him, but if there was a way he could suppress that anger in them, he would use it with no hesitation.

The cubs jumped happily over the grass that still was tall for them, glancing constantly at their father. "Hurry, dad! We want to spend all day there!" Zale said.

Kovu let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Your mother won't let us and you know it." He explained. "We'll return when the sunset, okay?"

"Oh, but, we can return tomorrow, can't we?" Keru inquired.

"Keru, we aren't there yet." Kovu responded after a laugh. "Wait until you see it, okay?"

"Yes, dad, yes but..." Keru insisted. "If it's just too awesome as you say? Can we return?"

Kovu let out a sigh while smirking at his younger son. "You can go the times you want, son." He looked up. "Now that you'll know the way there."

Zale gasped and stopped walking for a moment, looking over his back. "You mean we can go alone?"

Kovu chuckled. "Yeah, why not?"

Keru ran towards him and stood on his hind legs, resting his front ones on his dad's side. "But I don't want to go alone, daddy. I want you to come with us everyday!"

"Woah, everyday you say?" Kovu playfully moved his side to let his son get over his four paws again, looking at him then at the horizon. "You might be expecting a bit too much of this place."

"Of course, and we could even live there some day!" Zale opined.

"No, Zale." Kovu replied. "That's not our place."

"What's our place, then?" Zale inquired.

Kovu sighed. "Our place is our Kingdom, son." He began to adopt a serious tone. "We can't let go, we can't renounce to our duty." He glared at them both. "Your duty."

"But, we could leave that to uncle Kion and aunt Rani, maybe our cousins can also come with us! Then we'll have no more resp..." Zale was interrupted.

"Zale." Kovu's deeper, firm voice made Zale and Keru to listen. He sighed and just kept walking. "There are things in life that you just can't turn your back on." He explained. "Things that are...part of you."

Keru lowered his head, thinking about the words of his father. "I don't understand, daddy."

"You don't have to, my son." Kovu approached him and stroked him with his head. "You are very young." He then did the same with Zale, who was also confused with what Kovu had said. "This is not the time to think in such things." He was walking between them, they were all looking frontwards at the land illuminated by the morning's sun. "For now, all you have to do is to enjoy this day, okay?" He looked at them with a smile.

Zale glared at him after a brief moment. "Okay, dad." He smirked at him, same as Keru.