The Lion King 3: The Dark Pride (Chapter 15)

Disclaimer: I don't own any lion king characters, but I do own Keisha and Kanaka! Anyway, Enjoy!

So, as Kiara waited for help, she heard some movement about fifty yards away, curious as to what it was, she carefully walked over to the bushes and then saw one of her friends injured pretty badly. So, as fast as she could, walked over and asked, "Oh my god, what hap..."

But she couldn't finish her sentence as the lioness yelled, "No, Kiara, it's a trap, don't come any closer!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Kiara, no!"

"What happ..."

But she couldn't finish as she tripped over a rock and fell on a long, skinny, sharp pointed branch which ended up stabbing her already injured leg and went right on through her hind leg! Kiara shreiked, pain surging through her leg and throughout her body! The only way for her to get her hind leg loose was to lift it up until the branch was completely out of her leg. Till then, she was stuck and couldn't move anywhere!

Kiara lifted her head and saw the sharp branch sticking out of her leg, she yelled again in extreme pain as she tried over and over to try to get her leg loose! By now, her leg was completely covered with blood that flowed like a small stream across the ground.

The other injured lioness named Keisha was in shock and couldn't bear to see her friend in so much pain, she tried to move and help but was to weak to do so.

Back at Rafiki's tree, Kovu actually awoke, he had heard Kiara's loud shriek...he was still weak though, but he tried not to let his injured body stop him! Rafiki saw that he was awake as said to Kovu, "You are not going anywhere, you are to injured to go anywhere."

Kovu, breathing fast, replied, "But...I have to get up and help...Kiara! I though I heard her shreik in pain...I must help her!"

"You dink you heard Kiara yell? I certainly didn't hear a thing."

Kovu irritated, replied, "Then you must be deaf monkey...I heard her loud and clear...now get out of the way!"

"Not in dis condition, you are just hearing tings...it's common not to hear and see tings correctly when someone's been out of it for quite some time. I didn't hear a ting, and old Rafiki knows when sometings suspicious is going on outside."

"The reason why you didn't hear anything is because age is catching up with you...you must be like what...three-hundred years old...no one can even understand what you say...now let me through, my mate needs me!"

Kovu, with all the strength he had, bolted right past Rafiki and into the savanna, determined to find his mate! As he continued running, for some odd reason, he felt himself gaining more strength and having more energy...and didn't feel as much pain in his body as he did earlier! He said to himself, "Hm, that's strange, how can I have more strength and energy than before when I was injured?"

But he decided to worry about it later, right now he was focused on finding his mate and helping her!

Back to where Kiara was, Kiara felt her leg becoming numb, she couldn't feel her injured leg because of the blood loss. She had lost a good amount of blood and was on the verge of going into a deep unconsciousness! Her friend Keisha wasn't feeling much better, but she was doing her best to stay awake and talk to Kiara to help her stay awake.

"Kiara, Kiara can you hear me? Everything's going to be...ok, you just need to stay awake!"

Kiara's eyes were half closed as she weakly replied, "No it......won't. It's hopeless, I can't feel my leg...anymore. I've already lost...a good amount...of blood......I'm going to die...it's hopeless.

"No Kiara, it's not hopeless...help is...on the way...you're going to...be ok."

"Then why has...help not come yet...I called for help awhile...ago.

Keisha stayed quiet, she didn't know how to answer that. Help had been called a long time ago and no one has arrived! She could feel that whatever lion did this to her and Kiara was coming back soon, she just didn't know when.

"I'm not sure why it hasn't arrived yet, but it will, don't give up, okay."

Kiara weakly lifted her head to look at her injured leg and blood was everywhere...she had already broken her leg and now this had to happen. She asked herself, "Could this day get any worse?"

So she rested her head back on the ground and closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her; half of her body felt numb and if no help arrived soon, life would just get worse for her and Keisha, though Keisha wasn't injured as much as Kiara was.

Back to where Kovu was, he had been running for awhile now and soon enough, he smelled the scent of blood nearby, so he picked up the pace and soon enough, he arrived at a horrifying site! His mates condition was in horrible condition and Keish didn't look so good either...so he roared for help!

Keisha opened her eyes and saw Kovu and said, "Kovu, thank goodness you're here...we called for...help a long time...ago. Kiara, I'm not sure how much longer she has, but she needs to be seen immediately...if she has any hope of surviving!"

Kovu nodded and walked over to where his mate was...his bright green eyes were welling up a little, her condition was unexplainable, lost for words, he leaned down towards her face and nudged Kiara's jaw softly and asked, "Kiara...Kiara, can you hear me? It's me, Kovu...you got to wake up now!

Though she didn't, her eyes remained closed, so he lowered his ear down to where Kiara's jaw hung slack and listened for any breathing...she was alive, but was in horrible condition. He put his paw on her head and noticed that her body was becoming cold. Kovu began to panic and looked to her hind leg and saw that her leg was caught. He examined it closely, then closed his eyes painfully for a moment, then reopened them and as gently as he could, began to lift Kiara's hind leg to get her loose so he could take her to Rafiki!

As he was lifting it, the sound of it was the worst sound he could ever hear, but soon got her hing leg free! He licked some of the blood off of her leg where the wound was, though some if it was dried of her once beautiful golden fur. He then heard someone stop next to him, he looked and saw that it was Kanaka with a worried expression.

"Kanaka, take Keisha to Rafiki, okay. I'll take Kiara."

Kanaka nodded sadly and picked up Keisha as gently as she could and took off for the tree of life. Kovu grabbed Kiara by the nape of her neck and put her on his back and quickly bolted in the same direction of Kanaka, to the tree of life! As Kovu left with Kiara, a lion with piercing red eyes watched evilly as Kovu disappeared into the distance. The lion grinned evilly as he himself disapeared to the Outlands!

Once Kovu got there, Rafiki had just gotten done examining Keisha and said to Kovu that she would be alright, and that she just needed some medicine for her wounds and rest and she would be fine. Kovu walked in with Kiara on his back, glared at Rafiki because he had tried to stop him from leaving, though Rafiki bad, he apologized to Kovu. But to him, it would take awhile to forgive Rafiki even though he knew the baboon was truly sorry.

So, Kovu gently put Kiara down and waited outside for the results. Once Rafiki was done, he came out to Kovu and said with a sad face, "I've stopped the bleeding but Kiara's hind leg is severely broken and lost an good amount of blood, but you got her to me just in time...she will live, but Kiara will go in and out of consciousness, due to the lack of blood. For now, she needs lots of rest and medicine and she should be fine."

Kovu responded sadly, also trying to keep his frustration in, "How long will it be before her leg is healed?"

"Well, more than likely, it'll be a good four to five weeks before she is completely healed. Right now, I have a leaf with medicine in it wrapped around her leg for the time being, you are welcome to stay if you wish and I'll let the pride know about this trajedy."

Kovu nodded and walked inside; he saw Keisha laying on her side asleep. Kovu walked over towards Kiara and said, "Kiara, are you awake? It's me, Kovu."

To his surprise, she opened her eyes and asked, wasn't sure if she was just seeing a vision of Kovu or if it was actually him, "Kovu, it that really......you?"

Kovu smiled weakly and replied, "Yes dear, it's really me...you aren't imagining it. Somehow, I'm not sure how I got better, but I'm thankful for it...maybe it was the Great Kings of the past that helped me."

Kiara smiled and she slipped her head under Kovu's chin the best she could, purring a little and replied, "Oh, Kovu, I'm so glad...you're feeling better. I was afraid I'd never...see you again."

They continued nuzzling each other for a few moments and when they stopped, Kovu layed down beside Kiara, looked into her beautiful brown eyes, and also taking in every part of her beauty...and finally said, "Kiara, I'm so glad that you'll be ok, you scared me, I thought you were going to leave me...but I'm glad you didn't...I would be a wreck without you.

Kovu paused for a moment, then continued, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Kiara smiled, blushed a little at his comment, and replied, "And you're the best thing that has ever happened to me...we are one."

Kovu smiled and said, "Yes, we are one."

So they both closed their eyes and eventually fell asleep.

Well, what did you think? Hope you liked it. I tried to make the chapter as good as possible.I'm Very Sorry for not Updating this in like forever, was in a big writers block, hopefully updating this chapter will get me going on my other stories! And wow, I haven't updated this story in nearly 1 year, wow, I'm very sorry for not uploading this sooner, I didn't realize it was that long(lol)!^^

Anyway, again, I'm not sure when the next Update will be, but I promise to do my best to Update ASAP, okay!

Hope you enjoyed it, but for now, Please R&R!!

-Kovu 01