Lion King - Lost Heir

Forbidden

Nyuki

Kuua pounces on top of me, pinning me down. We're sat a few minutes away from pride rock, underneath a giant tree with leaves that fall around it like a curtain. Our special place. I'm still betrothed to Mazora, and he's always believed that I love him as much as he loves me.

"Hey!"

He grins, leaning down to lick my muzzle. I lick his muzzle back, before kicking him off with my back legs. He sits against the tree, and I bury my head in his mane. It isn't as long as the adults', but is still thick and dark. 

"When are we going to tell our parents about us?"

He rolls his eyes, "We can't stay here, let's run away together!" he jumps up. "We could have our own pride, in the jungle!"

"Kuua..."

"What? You think that Mazora will ever  forgive you?"

"No..."

"Well, this way we get to live however we want, with no responsibilities!"

"But you could be King!"

"I'd rather be with you than King. Kuishi could do it."

I give him a sad smile, "But-"

"No buts, we can go today!"

"I need to say goodbye, to Swala, and Aina, and Kuishi, and Nyota, and... Mazora."

"That's a yes!"

I walk up to him, placing my paw over his, "Give it time, we aren't old enough to be independent yet."

"Alright then," he says. "A month?"

"Two."

"Alright, good compromise."

I smile, and tilt my head up to lick his muzzle, "Race ya back!"

Kiara

Me and Kovu walk up pride rock, and stand before the animals that live in the pridelands.

"Greetings!" says Kovu, grinning. The lions reply, and so do the rest of the animals surrounding the rock.

I take over from him, projecting my voice to reach everyone listening. 

"Last year, no new cubs were born, bar the royal heirs. This year, we announce that, to make up pride numbers, new cubs can be bared by any lioness in the pride. However, males in the pride can have no more than one litter!"

There's cheering from the lions, and I look over them all proudly. Askari and Mpenzi grin sheepishly at each other, and I see Dalila and Mheetu entwining their tails. But I also see Kuua, and head buried in his mane... Nyuki, a lioness betrothed to his friend Mazora. I can tell that this is going to cause a  mighty uproar in the pride, and I need to give these two a serious talking to. I try to put it out of my head, and anyways, you wouldn't be able to see them from ground level. 

Kovu continues for me, "Thank you, citizens of the pridelands, we hope you have the best year!"

The meeting concludes, and I call Kuua to me, in the privacy of pride rock. 

"Mother?"

"Come in, we have to talk."

"What is it? Have I done something wrong?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed you and Nyuki becoming closer."

"We're just-"

"Kuua, I'm not blind."

He hangs his head, and I continue. "She is betrothed to Mazora, meaning that you two can never be together, the pride would never allow you to be king."

"Mother, I've decided that I don't want to be King, it should be Kuishi."

I just look back at him in shock, as he stands and leaves.

Kuishi

The next morning...

I stand up, yawning, turning to where my brother usually sleeps.

"Kuua time to-"

But he isn't there, and before you say he could have gone out for an early morning walk, he isn't an early walk person, if he was a walk person at all in the first place. I shake my mother awake, and she looks up at me, her eyes still sleepy. 

"Kuua's gone!"  I whisper, which wakes her up properly all right. 

"What?!" 

She stands, and runs out of the cave, standing on the tip of pride rock. I follow her as she loops around and runs back into the cave. 

"Nyuki," she says, and I look at where my old childhood friend normally sleeps. 

"Mother?"

"It's all my fault... It's all my fault. They're gone, Kuishi, they're gone."

Author's Note

I'm so sorry that I haven't uploaded in a few days, but I've had a lot of trouble with chapters saving then deleting then appearing again and then deleting themselves :P Also, I've been really busy and I'm sorry for the short chapter so.... happy reading!