Kayto's journey: Revenge of the fallen

Chapter 3: Mashindano

Chapter song: The downed dragon-HTTYD soundtrack

Kayto forces herself to take a moment to really process everything. Over the hill she's on, the lion that caused her so much pain in her youth, is just laying in the dry grass. The one responsible for killing everyone she ever knew is right there. It's too perfect. Kayto peers over again to see him grooming himself. "No amount of grooming will cleanse you." She says to herself. Stalking down the hill, her dark fur blending into the grass as she creeps closer to the defenceless murderer. "Find him alone..." Kayto creeps closer and closer. "Hunt him down. Go for his neck. Look him in the eyes. He will remember you. The sur- '' There's a loud roar and Kayto gets blind sided. She roars in surprise, rolling from the impact to land on her feet and face her opponent. A red-brown lion with a scar across his right eye is growling at her while Simba is on his feet shocked. "Kovu! I'll get the guard!" Kayto gasps. "Kovu??" She turns to the brown lion. "You...you survived?" Kovu looks at her confused. "What?" Simba starts to run away. " Don't just stand there! Stop him!! Kill him!" Kayto runs in his direction but Kovu leaps in front of her. "I don't know who you are!" Kovu lunges towards Kayto. She ducks underneath him and thrusts her shoulders up, pushing him over with ease. Kovu falls over roaring. "Of course YOU wouldn't remember! You were barely even a child!" Kayto yells at him in anger. "The only one who would is-" "Kayto?!?!?" A scruffy tan lioness with dark eyes steps over a hill just in sight. "Kayto stops immediately after hearing her voice looking up at her. "...Vitani?" Suddenly, a brute force knocks Kayto to the ground hitting her head. Everything fades to black.

Kayto slowly awakens to the sound of voices arguing. The cave is dark and cold, but light still seeps in from the giant elephant rib cage keeping her locked in. Kayto rubs at her eyes, remembering her intentions and approaches the entrance. "We can't keep her like this daddy!" A feminine voice cries out. "Kiara.. She's too dangerous..especially since you're expecting." Simba voices his concern. "He's right Kiara." A second voice says. Kovu. "As if you would be concerned about the lives of cubs Simba." The group of lions is taken aback by the sudden voice. Simba growls and approaches Kayto. Kayto doesn't flinch from his approach. She can't let herself do that no matter what. "Who are you?" Simba roars. "I am a survivor of you." Simba looks puzzled and angry. "What do you mean?" Kiara asks, wobbling over. She is evidently pregnant. "Kiara. Stay over there-" "No." Kayto objects. "She deserves to know what you've done. You are the king of cub slaughter." A sudden fear appears in Simba's eyes. "You..." He trembles as Kiara looks at him with disbelief. Kayto steps closer into the light as Simba backs away. "Was it worth it?" Kayto torments him. "Enough." Simba looks away. Kayto keeps yanking the painful memories from him. "The screams of the cubs? The lionesses trying to protect their own children from YOU? My OWN mother bleeding out in the dirt as she tells me to run away as far as I can?

'Stop." Simba starts tearing up. "NO. Your heir needs to see who you are. You killed ALL of them. And for what? Why???" "STOP!" Simba yells. "My son he-" "ZIRA NEVER KILLED YOUR SON!!" Kayto screams at him. Complete silence. Simba starts weeping. Kiara comes to his aid, weary of Kayto's presence. "Daddy?...I had a brother?..What is she talking about?" She softly asks him tears in her eyes. Kayto is stunned. "You never told her about Kopa?" "You stay out of this!" Kovu growls. "AND YOU! Did any of the training mean nothing to you? The chosen one Kovu?" Kayto presses. "I want nothing to do with it!" Kovu states fiercely. "What would your mother say? Where even is she?" Kayto asks firmly. "Keep talking and I'll send you to her." Kovu snarls. "Kovu!" A distant voice shouts. The group looks over towards the voice. "Get Simba and Kiara out of here." Vitani comes into focus. "I need to talk with Kayto." The group in front of Kayto begin to leave to the outside. There, Kovu guides them to a nearby hill and walks away, leaving them to have a moment. Vitani sighs. "Where... where have you been?" She asks. "Dead. I've been dead. What happened to you?" Vitani grimaces at Kayto's unclear answer. "We've been at peace with pridelands for a year now. The fight is-" "It's not over. It's not over until he is dead. You should know that, especially since your mother-" "Stop bringing her up! She's gone! And it was for the better." Vitani yells. Kayto pauses, realizing that she hurt Vitani. She sighs, turns around and heads far into the darkness of the cave to lie down. "I...I didn't think you'd actually grow a mane." Vitani says. "And I thought you would have." Kayto replies. Vitani smiles a little in a melancholy way. She leaves Kayto alone in her cage.

The afternoon drags on for hours, Kayto curled away from the splitted light of the entrance. Soft but clunky steps can be heard coming close to her cage. "Kayto?" A familiar voice calls out. Kayto turns her head to see the pregnant lioness. Simba nudges his way in front of her. "I want to know what you want." He demands. Kayto scowls at him. "I want you dead for what you've done." "I know. But I'm not letting that happen." He defends. "Then...I challenge you to a Mashindano." Kayto states. Simba is taken aback. A mashindano is a challenge of leadership both Kayto and Simba know well from experience. Zira challenged him to one. "If I win, you die. If you win, I die." Kayto explains. "Absolutely not." Simba snarls. "Then I escape and kill you in your sleep. Which one sounds better?" Kayto strikes. Simba thinks for a second. "When?" He demands. Kayto is slightly surprised that it worked. "When?!" He roars impatiently. She glances at Kiara. She is a bit frightened of Kayto but not as much as her father's rage. "When is she due?" Simba leaps in front of Kayto's view of Kiara. "Why should that matter to you??" He yells. "Because your life will depend on it. The Mashindano will happen the morning after those cubs are born. I'd like you to see your heirs before you are killed." Simba hesitates, closing his eyes. "I'll keep my word." Kayto assured. She goes back to the darkness of her cave. Simba's presence leaves, allowing Kiara to step her shadow through the ribcage. "...Cubs?" Uh oh. "Well you are pregnant aren't you??" Kayto turns hoping she didn't just insult the future queen. "Yes! But I thought I was just having one. How can you tell?" Kiara comes closer to the cage. "I was used to many of my aunts being pregnant most of the time when I was young. The sizes of womb from the outside vary quite a bit even if cubs are small." Kayto explains slightly bragging. "So how many am I having?" Kiara asks, suddenly very interested. "I'd have to feel you to tell." Kayto withdraws back to her darkness. A thump sound comes from the entrance of Kayto's cage. She looks back to find Kiara laying on the ground with her belly pressed up against the ribcage. "Are you insane?? I, of all people, should NOT be touching you." Kayto coughed. "I wanna know! Rafiki can't even do that! Please..?" Kiara pleads. Kayto rolls her eyes and approaches the lioness cautiously. "He isn't here. He went on a walk with mom." Kiara reassures. Kayto still isn't sure but proceeds nonetheless. She places her heavy paw on the tender belly of Kiara. She senses everything internal of Kiara, including two separate heartbeats. "Two..." She suggested. Kiara's face lights up with a big smile. "Really??" She laughs happily. "How do you do that?" "I don't know. I've always been sensitive to the ground with feeling footsteps and vibrations." Kayto ponders. "You're amazing! I gotta tell Tiifu and Zuri!" Kiara gets up sloppily and runs off into the sunset. "HEY! WAIT!" Kayto objects too late. She's long gone despite her weight. Kayto sighs and lays down to sleep. 

To be continued...