Other Fan Fiction ❯ The Lion King 4: A Single Step ❯ The Storm ( Chapter 20 )

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 I will attempt to make it more frequent, since I aim to finish this story this year. So next chapter will be here before the middle of next week. This is a good chapter, y'all :D!

Chapter 20: The Storm
Almost an hour and a half had gone by since Kivu had left the cave in search of stranded herd animals. There was still no sign of him. The Queen and King had started to worry. Kovu was pacing the floor in the deepest part of the cave. Kiara was standing nearby, watching him, not knowing what to do.
"Maybe he lost track of time..." she tried. Kovu continued pacing, with an intense worried look on his face. His mane hung in his haunted eyes. "I'm sure he's okay, Kovu, nothing can happen to him out in a storm..." Kiara tried again, but felt like she was trying to convince herself more than trying to convince her husband.
"Nothing can happen?" He snarled, looking at her, then continued pacing, "He could be in a flood area and drown! Or he could be lost and other predators will find him. Or what if he gets washed into the river, there's alligators there! Surely you remember that!"
"Yes, I think you should just calm down, Kivu will-"
Kovu suddenly closed the distance between himself and Kiara, and thrust his muzzle in her face.
"Kivu will have a scar over his left eye if he doesn't get back here, right now."
Kiara didn't flinch or move, only furrowed her brows, and narrowed her eyes. "Don't you say that." She glared at him, and showed her teeth. Kovu glared back for a moment, but then relaxed. His gaze softened, and he looked at his paws.
"I'm sorry."
Kiara smiled softly, her eyes reflected the gentle patience of a loving wife. She nuzzled Kovu. "It's okay. We'll wait just a little longer, then if he's still not back, we'll go find him."
The rain continued even another half hour later. All could hear the hard beating of the rain from anywhere inside the cave, no matter how deep. The adolescents, Ciara, Jai Tempest, Tali and Mani were waiting expectantly by the mouth of the cave. All were trying to remain calm and not think to move about the danger Kivu was in. Ciara was having a hard time.
The torrent of rain fell and fell making it difficult to hear one another unless the young lions shouted, so the group mostly kept silent during the storm.
"That's it, I can't wait and worry about him any longer!" Mani erupted. "Why havn't his parents sent anyone to find him?"
"I'm sure they're worried if they sent a search party that they would get lost as well. I mean, just look at the rain." Tali said, trying to reason with her brother, and calm him down.
"He's my friend, I cannot wait here any longer." Mani stood, getting ready to leap out side. Tempest quickly stood in front of him.
"Mani, no, we all want to help, but it's not safe to go out there!" Tempest glared at him.
"Move, Tempest!" Mani snarled. Her eyes only narrowed.
"I'm going to get him whether anyone wants to or not!" He shoved her out of the way, and ran out into the rain.
"Mani!" Tempest yelled angrily after him. He didn't turn back or stop; he kept running into the rain.
A lioness from behind the group that saw what happened stood suddenly. "We have to inform the King!" She turned to find Kovu when she stopped short when the large dark lion had already appeared. He ran toward the entrance.
"I'm going to search for Kivu!" he announced.
"Wait!" Ciara said before he could step outside. "Mani just ran out! We couldn't stop him..."
"What?" Kiara said, joining the group.
Kovu whirled to meet her. "Mani! They say he just left the cave!"
Kiara looked slightly panicked. "Well go after him!"
"Wait." A voice called from the corner. Simba approached his daughter, and sat beside her. Kiara nuzzled him.
"Oh, Daddy, what do we do?"
"Calm down, and think." he said sternly. "Mani is a strong boy. I 'm sure he'll be fine. He's fast and witty."
Kiara sighed. "You're right." she then looked at the adolescents waiting by the cave entrance, who were engaged in the conversation like the rest of the pride.
"We're not to worry. Those boys will return safely." she said looking each young lion in the eye. Suddenly she stopped. "Where's Tempest?"
The young lions tossed their heads for a second to look for her.
"She's gone!" Jai announced.
"She must have slipped out after Mani during the distraction..." Tali commented.
"Darn it, Tempest!" Ciara muttered.

Tempest's coat was drenched and her hair hung in her eyes as she ran. When blinking couldn't remove the hair, she tried to move it with a flick of her paw. Thunder sounded loudly overhead in the dark sky. Tempest yelped quietly, but continued running. She was scared and had no idea where she was going, since she had lost sight of Mani almost as soon as she left the cave. She slowed to a stop and sighed.
"What am I doing? I'm so lost!" She looked to the sky, and the rain fell in her face. "Would you stop raining already?"
Thunder sounded as if in response. She growled and continued running on, calling Mani's name.

It wasn't long back in the warm den when a very drenched young prince wandered in.
"Kivu!" Ciara called out as he walked in. She held back the urge to run up and nuzzle him. Kovu and Kiara quickly ran over to him.
"Kivu!" Kiara said as she approached him.
"I know, I know... I got lost." he said looking angry and ashamed of himself.
Kovu stepped forward with hard eyes. Kivu looked up at him sadly.
"Will I be a bad king? If I can't even do a simple task like this...?" Kivu asked quietly. The others had to strain their ears just to hear him.
Kovu softened. "Kivu, it was my fault. It was bad judgment on my part to send you."
"But he doesn't mean you weren't right for the job." Kiara stepped in. "This storm is the hardest we've had in a long time. It would be easy for anyone to get lost in this darkness." Kiara licked her son's head affectionately. His parents dismissed him.
Kivu went to his friends with a goofy smile.
"Did ya miss me?" he said.
"Kivu, you had us all worried!" Ciara said.
"So you did miss me, Ciara?"
She glared at him. "Did you know that Mani went out looking for you a minute ago? And then Tempest disappeared after him!"
Kivu looked frightened. "Where are they?"
"We don't know!"
"Then I have to go after them! They're out there because of me!"
"I forbid it!" The King called to him. "No one is allowed to go out until the storm is over. It is decided." Then he and Kiara returned to the deepest part of the den.
Kivu growled.
"There's nothing we can do..." Kivu said to his friend, trying to calm him.
Kivu was about to protest further when Nala came over.
"Come away from the entrance, Kids. Wouldn't want you to be tempted to go out there." She motioned with her paw for them to move. "Come on, get going."
Kivu growled lightly at his grandmother and went further into the cave where the rest of the pride waited. His friends followed.

"Maaaaaniii!" Tempest called loudly. "Where are you!"
Tempest was near tears, and so lost. She shivered uncontrollably as she continued to be pelted with rain. She had been running seemingly forever. The ground beneath her feet had turned to slushy mud. It splattered all over her legs and underbelly. She kept running, not knowing if she was even in the Pride Land border anymore.
"Where am I?" She shouted, ready to let the tears fall, when she suddenly heard a voice.
"Tempest?"
Her eyes opened widely as she recognized the voice. She turned in the direction the voice came from. "Mani?"
"Tempest, over here!"
Tempest could hardly see a thing in front of her, but she followed his calling voice, until she saw him, sitting beneath a large tree. Its big leaves and branches blocked most of the water coming down form the sky. Tempest hurriedly and happily joined Mani, and nuzzled him without thinking.
"Mani I was so scared!"
"What are you doing out here! It's not safe!" Mani replied.
"I went out looking for you, I was too worried to sit there for even a minute."
Mani stood firm, and she pulled away from him. "And they just let you go? I'm gonna kick Jai's-"
"It's not their fault, I went when they weren't looking." Then she giggled. "And why Jai? Just cause he's male? Males don't have to do everything, you know..." she looked closely at him with implied meaning. Mani sighed.
"Are you hurt?" he said after a moment of silence.
"No. You?"
"No. Just drenched."
"Ditto."
Mani sighed again. "Do you think Kivu made it back?"
"I don't know."
"I figured it was too dangerous to try to go back out there now." Thunder sounded loudly. Mani waited until it finished to continue speaking. "Let's wait here until the storm subsides."
"Good idea." Tempest replied, then began licking her arm. It will take all night to get completely clean and dry! She complained to herself.
Mani followed suit, and began bathing himself as well. After a second, he looked up at Tempest. She was shivering. Then her ice blue eyes met his yellow ones.
"What?" She asked.
"You're shivering."
"Oh..yes..It's cold." She said, when suddenly Mani stood and then sat close to her. He pressed his body next to her's. Tempest instantly felt warmth.
"That's so much better." She said, rubbing her head on Mani's growing mane. Mani felt a rush coming from his chest that brought a fluttery feeling to his stomach. He hesitated, then softly licked Tempest's forehead.
Tempest inhaled quickly and slightly pulled back, looking Mani in the eye with an expression of surprise. Mani pulled back his head.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Tempest giggled. "It's okay." she said, blinking her clear blue eyes, and smiling a little. Mani was staring and Tempest felt a blush come to her cheeks. He looked about ready to say something, but with some difficulty.
"Y-you look beautiful." he said quickly. "Your name suits you. Well, like the weather, even though it's being pretty horrible. Not that you're horrible! I don't mean that at all, I mean-"
"Shhhh..." Tempest said and pressed up against him. His words stopped coming. His heart was beating so fast. She giggled again, and nuzzled under his chin.
"I love you." he said quietly, then licked her head again.
"Oh Mani, I love you too."

FINALLY!
Thanks for reading















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