Kion: Fall from Grace (A Dark Kion Story)

Chapter 20: Blood in the Water

Kiara walked through the carnage left behind by the fire, her mind paralyzed with the thought of her brother. She had no clue what happened to him after that day, whether he was alive or not, or if he even stayed with the Outsiders.

She had her answer now.

She made her way up the cold rocky steps and into the den. She didn't even notice Tiifu and Zuri who greeted her excitedly as she walked past them. She moved in to the back of the den and dropped to the ground.

"Kiara, is everything ok?" Tiifu asked in her usually soft tone.

"I'm fine it's just, I didn't expect to see Kion," she said, still not looking at them.

"He's alive?" Zuri asked in disbelief.

"Yea, I saw him on the border," Kiara whispered.

Before her two friends could keep asking questions, they could hear the King and Queen coming up the steps, arguing about what was to be done about the Outsiders. They entered the den and Simba immediately broke off the conversation to talk to his daughter.

"So, I heard you weren't leading the guard today," the king stated in an angry tone.

"I was, I had Fuli take the guard to meet the Outsiders while I coordinated the firebreaks," Kiara explained. He simply glared at her, clearly unhappy with her response, but unable to argue that point further.

"I also heard your brother was spotted in the Pride Lands, and that you two had a conversation," Simba countered.

"Yes, we did," Kiara simply replied.

"Why didn't you stop him?"

She shook her head. "Even if I was physically capable of subduing him, he was basically in the Outlands, I couldn't have caught him."

"You didn't even try," the king hissed. "I don't need to remind you that he betrayed us all, and that any mention of his name is forbidden, do I?"

"Of course not."

"Good."

The king then turned and left while calling for Zazu. Nala moved toward her daughter with a worried look on her face.

"Are you ok?" The queen asked while nuzzling her daughter.

"Of course, mom," Kiara chuckled light-heartedly.

"Tiifu, Zuri?" Nala asked. They nodded to her, signaling to Nala that they were fine as well. She turned back to her daughter.

"How was he?"

"He was...different. His fur and mane looked awful, the claw mark dad gave him had scared over. He had claw marks where the mark of the guard is, and he was kind of blunt. But I could still tell it was him," she explained to her mom with a smile.

"I'm just glad he's ok," Nala replied with a smile. "What was he doing in the Pride Lands?"

"I think he took something," said Kiara.

"What did he take exactly?" Nala questioned.

"He took my staff," Rafiki shouted as he entered the den. Kiara and Nala shared a confused glance as Rafiki appeared to still have the staff he claimed they took.

"But Rafiki, you still have the staff," Kiara pointed out.

"No, dis is a different one, Rafiki is always prepared," he laughed while tapping his head.

"Then what makes your staff so important?" Kiara asked.

"Da staff helps me talk to de lions of the past, I can use it to more clearly hear what it is dey want," the mandrill explained. "But it can also be used for evil, like summoning de evil lions of the past."