Heavy is the Head [Kion] ✔️

[7]

CHAPTER SEVEN
the enemy of my enemy; part two

"Kion. Wake up."

The voice was faraway. Distant.

Familiar.

What happened? Kion wondered as he slowly peeled his eyes open. They felt heavy, and everything in sight was fuzzy. Blinking, everything steadily came into focus. He was safe in the den, surrounded by familiar faces and voices and the laughter of his pride mates.

Suddenly, another face bounced into view. His brows furrowed as his stomach turned uncertainly. He was vaguely aware of his eyes widening to the size of boulders. "Kiara?" He asked softly.

His sister was, indeed, standing before him — well, a version of her. She was once again a cub, her maroon eyes bright with mischief and tail swishing behind her in glee. She tapped his nose with her paw. "Who else, silly! Tag! You're it!"

Kion scrunched his nose, feeling more and more confused by the moment. Had he hit his head in the fight— which fight?

"What?" He asked slowly. "But—"

"Come on, Sleepy Head!" Kiara cheered, turning and racing away towards the entrance of the cavern while the onlookers laughed loudly. "Let's play!"

Kion pushed himself to his feet. "Kiara!" He shouted, racing after her. "Wait!" He barreled head-first into the sunlight, gasping as he was consumed by the bright sun. "Kiara?"

Kiara had stopped a few paces ahead of him, all humor gone from her features. She shook where she stood. Only then did Kion hear the echoes of screams and anguished cries in the air.

Slowly, he made his way to Kiara, finding himself shoulder-to-shoulder with her as they had been when they were cubs. He looked past her horrified gaze to the grass below their home, where the pride of adults were circled. In the very centre were their parents. They were crying.

Simba and Nala never cried.

Kion squinted. He felt his breath hitch as he recognized the mauled form of his grandmother, Sarabi.

"Zira," the voices were now echoing in anger. "Zira has struck again!"

Kion glanced at Kiara, and everything turned white.

*

Opening his eyes a second time, Kion found himself in the Outlands; the cracked, dusty ground was enough to tell him that. The wind blew violently, flinging dust into his eyes. He scrunched his face, groaning as the hard specs hit his body.

"Hello, little prince," a voice that Kion knew all too well whispered. His eyes flew open and sure enough, across the field of dead grass, stood Zira. She was glaring down at a cub: a boy with sandy brown fur and a tuft of similar hair on his head. His eyes were a bright blue.

"Z-Zira," the cub stammered. "Y-you shouldn't be here. Dad said I should tell him if I s-see you."

Kion squinted. Behind his older dead brother, stood another familiar cub whom Kion had met long ago in the Outlands. Kovu.

A malicious smirk carved its way onto Zira's face at Kopa's words. "I'm afraid you won't be given the chance, Kopa," she whispered, and turned her eyes onto her son, darkening. "Watch what happens when you disobey orders, Kovu."