~𝒯𝒽ℯ ℒ𝒾ℴ𝓃 𝒦𝒾𝓃ℊ: ℳ𝓎 𝒮𝓉ℴ𝓇𝓎~

~Chapter 60~ The War Pt. 3

Season 4 - Special

~In the Southlands~

There were only at least 60 more lionesses, lions, and other animals fighting. Don't worry, no one died. Some just got too tired to keep fighting. And while the war was still going on, Kesi was in South Rock having her cubs. She screamed in pain. Good thing Diamanto and the other lionesses were in there with her. Naju ran up to Keres and snapped, "Keres, this wasn't part of the plan! You said if I told you what Bakari did then you wouldn't attack the Southlands anymore! What changed?!?" "Wait, you're the reason Keres knew about that?!" Kabira snapped running up behind him. "What?!" Asha and Alzena said surprised in usion. "I... um...-" Naju stuttered."What can I say, my boy? I lie." Keres smirked as she pounced and then pinned Naju down to the wet rained-on ground. Adira was still fighting nobly though. She kicked two lionesses from the Northland pride and then smirked with a raised eyebrow. Naju was pinned down by a lion so he threw the lion off of him with his hind legs and then got up and said as he looked around, "Where is Kia? She's supposed to be leading us." "I don't know, but if she doesn't show up soon, something unpleasant is probably gonna happen!" Kabira said as she passed Naju because a lioness from the Northland pride pushed her. Naju looked at her confused.

Kai, Omari, and I crossed a log and then made it back into the Southlands. As we were running, I couldn't stop thinking about Kai being heir to the throne. What's that make me? Nothing! Overly jealous? Yes! Totally mad and completely confused? Yes! I sighed after those thoughts ran through my head. Once we were in the Southlands, Kai looked back at me and said, "Hey, sis? Everything okay?" I just nodded. "Did you just call me "sis"?" I asked looking up at him. "Uh, yeah-?" Kai started but I just walked past him and said, "After years of not even knowing I had a brother, you have some nerve of calling me that." He looked at me as I left and he had a sad expression on his face.

Kai sat on a rock and glanced at the fight then looked back at me and said, "OK, si-uh, Kia. Come on. And come on, Kia's friend." As we went into the Southlands, Omari whispered to me, "It's kinda funny how Kai has your name if someone just turns it around a little." I smiled at her.

Once we made it to where the lions and other animals were fighting, Mom ran up to me with a few scars on her face and said, "Where have you been?! The rules are that you and Keres lead the prides to the war." Kai came out from behind me. Mom saw him and was silent for a second. She was about to ask who's my friend, but she recognized her son and said with a breaking voice, "Kai?" "Mom!" Kai smiled and then hugged her. I raised an eyebrow and then Mom looked at me and said, "Uh... Kia-" "It doesn't matter right now," I told her budging past her. Then I added quietly, "We have a war to win," Mom sighed. "Actually, that's why I'm here," Kai told Mom. "You're gonna help us fight?" Mom asked. "No. I'm gonna do something better." Kai said walking away. Mom looked back at him in confusion as he left. Kai walked over to me and said, "Kia, I know you're mad. But the only way this is gonna work is with your help." "K. Whatever. What do you want me to do?" I said turning to him. "Uh... OK then. Um, I need you to help me do this..." Kai said. He told me what to do and I just did it.

Kai and I jumped in the middle of the war and Kai yelled, "Stop!" Everyone stopped and looked at him. "Who's that?" Someone mumbled. I just stood on the other side of him and yawned.

"Everyone needs to stop," Kai shouted. I looked around at everyone and said with a raised eyebrow, "Just so y'all know, this wasn't my idea." Kai glared at me then Keres walked up closer and said, "Who are you?" "I am Kai. Prince of the Southlands and future king!" Kai snapped at her and everyone else. I just scoffed. Kai looked back at me and mouthed "what"? I just shook my head and rolled my eyes. I mean, you can't blame me. For three years, I've been told I'm destined and will be queen of the Southlands. THEN some random lion comes and ruins everything! So yes! I'm mad!! I caught myself growling so I stopped. "This feud needs to end. Right now. I'm so sick of it." Kai told everyone getting frustrated. He looked at me and muttered to me, "Help me out, Kia," I sighed big in annoyance and rolled my eyes then said, "Yeah, what he said," Kai just rolled his eyes. "Uh, who's the lion?" Bakari asked walking up to Asha. Asha just shrugged her shoulders. "Keres, Kai is right. We're not fighting you." Mom said walking in front of Kai. If everyone was joining in, I figured I might as well, too. I walked over to Keres nose-to-nose showing no fear in my eyes. "Keres..." I started, getting ready for a speech. "You've been at me and out to get me and everyone and everything I love since I was a cub. You've destroyed the things I love, including my dad..." I said not knowing if I should do what I'm about to do after just remembering what she did to Dad. "But I'm giving you one more chance to take it back. I'm giving you one more chance to make me forget about all the bad things you've done to me and everyone I love by letting love, sympathy, trust- real trust, and friendship into your heart. What I'm saying is... I forgive you." I said with a calm and gentle voice. Everyone gasped. Keres just stood there silent. She backed away and snarled, "I'll never change!" Then she ran off. The animals of the Southlands stood there in silence. "Now what?" Luna wondered. "Well that was a total bust," I said. Kai chuckled and was about to do something with his paw but I glared at him and walked away. Mom and him walked over to me and said, "Kia, honey, what's wrong?" "Nothing," I only said. "Why are you acting like this, sis?" Kai asked. I turned my head to his sharply and aggressively and yelled, "I told you to stop calling me that!" I grind my teeth together as Mom walked over and said, "Why wouldn't he call you that? He's your brother." "NO, MOM! He's NOT my brother! I-I didn't even know I had a brother!" I yelled in anger. Mom lowered her ears and said, "Kia-" "Why didn't you at least tell me I had a brother that left his home, his family, and his future job just so that he could stop some silly little feud?!?" I asked, feeling like I was a rising volcano. "..... I don't know. Because I didn't want you to question your future so much. If I told you Kai was the real heir to the throne, you wouldn't take your job seriously. You wouldn't think you were actually destined to be the queen and that'd confuse you until you die. And even when you're dead you'd be confused." Mom answered. "But it's ALL the truth!" I said with the face that means "you're crazy". Mom knew I was right. That's why she didn't say anything. "I know..." She said and then walked away. "So here we go. Another animal just walking away from me." I said looking at the sky. Mom looked back at me and snapped, "I am not walking away from you. You're the one who won't just accept that you have a brother!" "That's because you kept him a secret from me like he was a deadly power or something!" I snapped back. Am I fighting with my mom? "If he didn't leave, we wouldn't be here right now!" Mom yelled. "Oh, well then good job to Kai! Well done! Great job for abandoning your family! Let's give him a gold star! I definitely couldn't have done that!" I cheered and clapped to Kai sarcastically. "KIA!" Mom scolded. I looked at Mom and lowered my ears a little. She's... NEVER yelled at me like that before. "Kia, why didn't you even say anything when we were confronting everyone?" Kai asked me. I looked at him aggressively and told him, "I was just getting used to my new role in the royal family- the one who stays in the shadows, doesn't get to say anything in case it's the wrong thing, and the listens to the king." I bowed down to Kai then walked away. "......." Was all Kai could say or do. "Hey!" Kabira yelled. I realized that that was Kabira's role before.

Thanks for reading! Since it's the 60th chapter, I'm gonna say some things. First of all, I wanna thank the biggest supporter of this story which is PrincessOfTheMystics. She always has great ideas for the story, questions, and nice and supporting comments. So thx, girl! Love you! Now to everyone else, thanks for the support and votes! Love y'all!