The Lion King 4 Dawn of A New Era

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The Lion King 4: The Dawn of A New Era

Chapter 1

Simba sighed as he looked down at his daughter, sitting on the rock in front of him. "One day I won't be here, and I need you to carry on in my place. You're a part of The Great …"

"… Circle of Life … I know …" Kiara finished, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Exactly! And you need to be careful … " Simba said, putting his paw around Kiara's back. "...As future queen ….."

Kiara pulled back, swatting his paw away. "What if I don't wanna be queen!?"

A cold wind whipped throughout The Pride Lands as Kiara left the den of Pride Rock. Rain whipped her fur harshly, sending a shiver down her spine. Kovu exited the cave and sat beside her.

He frowned and gently nuzzled her. "Hey … how are you holding up?"

Kiara sighed as she returned the nuzzle. "I'm …" She put her head in the crook of Kovu's neck. "... not …"

Kovu licked her cheek gently as tears streamed down her face and a harsh breath left her throat.

"... at all …" She finished.

Kiara looked back towards the den where Nala, Kion, Vitani,the former and the current Lion Guard, Rani, and Zazu stood.

Nala stepped forward and embraced her daughter in a warm nuzzle. Kiara cried more as she relaxed into her mother's soft touch.

"It's going to be all right …" Nala whispered gently.

Kiara sniffled and pulled back slightly, her gaze landing on her younger brother.

Kion stepped forward, Rani by his side. "Kiara, you're going to do great." He gave her a weak, yet reassuring smile.

Kiara exhaled harshly and looked back towards the tip of Pride Rock. The animals of The Pride Lands were gathering at the base, waiting … for her ...

"We'll be by your side the whole time, okay?" Kion said, trying to reassure her the best he could.

"Thanks …" Kiara said, forcing a smile that turned quickly back into a frown. "But .. what if I can't do this? What if I'm not ready?"

"But you are." Nala said, calmly. "You've done so much for our Pride already. You stopped a war that should have ended a long time ago, you united the Prides again … Sweetheart, you're more than ready to take your place in The Circle of Life." She turned towards Kovu, "Both of you are .."

Kiara grinned and snuggled into her neck.

An eldery mandrill made his way up the side of Pride Rock, over to the mourning family.

"Kiara …" Rafiki said softly, pulling her into a tight, secure hug. He looked up at the other lion standing close by. "Kovu …"

Kovu stepped forward, as Rafiki embraced him too. He'd gone from being just the weird friend of the family to being a trusted friend and shaman.

The wise mandrill looked to the sky as lightning flashed across the sky. A small smile pursed his lips as he looked over to the new rulers. "It is time …"

Kovu and Kiara made their way to the tip of Pride Rock, their family close behind.

At the base, the animals gathered in grief, letting out cries, and whines, a chorus of sadness booming throughout The Pride Lands.

Kovu and Kiara looked down at them, knowing that these were their people now and that they'd have to be good rulers for them.

Kiara glanced over at Kovu for emotional support. He leaned closer, nuzzling her cheek slightly.

"We are one …" He whispered softly into her ear.

Kiara felt the knot in her stomach disappear at these words. Kovu's silky smooth, buttery voice made her feel more chills than the cold air did. She exhaled and took another step forward, looking down at her kingdom.

Feeling the presence of The Great Kings of The Past standing beside her, Kiara felt a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders, and let out a loud, mighty roar.

The animals cheered and celebrated, letting out roars and various noises of their own. They stomped their feet, screeched out, and showed their loyalty to their new queen and king.

Kovu stood beside her and let out a roar of his own, soon joined by Nala, Kion,Vitani, Rani, and Vitani's guard. Fuli let out a low growl of her own, Bunga a low snarl, Beshte a loud groaning sound, and Ono a squawk.

Zazu fluttered in front of them, bowing, while Rafiki looked to the sky, grinning.

When Kiara finished, she looked down at the kingdom. Her kingdom.

She was now their queen.

I can't let them down ...

Once she was finished, she headed back to the den, and was comforted again by Kovu.

"You did great." Kovu purred gently.

"Thanks ..." Kiara breathed out, a bit uneasy. "But … I'm … I'm just not sure if I'm ready ..."

"I was nervous when I first became queen too." Nala said. "All the pressure and responsibility .. .but … I knew I would have Simba by my side the whole time."

"And I'll be by your side the whole time too." Kovu reassured his mate.

"So will I." Nala said, joining in the nuzzle.

"Me too ..." Vitani said softly, approaching her.

Kion and Rani stepped forward too. "We'll always be here for you."

"Yeah!" Bunga said, leaping forward. "We'll always have your back, your highness!"

Kiara sniffled and smiled at them. "Thank you."

"You should probably get some rest." Nala suggested. "It's been a long day."

Kiara nodded and headed into the den, Kovu close behind. He laid beside her, letting her rest her head in his paws, allowing him to hold her close.

"Kovu ..." Kiara said softly, settling into his neck.

As he groomed her fur, Kiara fell asleep.

Kiara opened her eyes to see her father standing at the tip of Pride Rock.

"Daddy?" Kiara gasped out.

Simba didn't reply, he kept looking out towards the sunrise on the horizon.

Kiara got up and nearly ran over to him. "Daddy?" Hope was evident in her voice.

Simba looked over, a small smile gracing his lips.

Tears formed in her eyes, and she nuzzled into his mane. "Daddy …"

"Shh it's okay …" Simba said, returning the gesture. "It's okay ..."

Kiara cried into his fur. "Daddy … I … … I can't do this … I …. I can't …."

"Shh it's okay … remember … it's in your blood … as I am …. We are part of each other … and it's your turn in The Circle of Life … you're the rightful queen ..." He reassured her.

"But … what … what if I can't do it, father!? What if I mess up and make the whole kingdom hate me!" Kiara whimpered out.

Simba let out a small laugh. "I felt the same way when I first became king."

"Really?" Kiara asked. In her eyes, her father had always seemed so sure and proud of his position. Sure he'd told her the story of Scar and how he'd run away in guilt thinking he was responsible for his father's death. He'd also mentioned the great amount of worry he had when returning to The Pride Lands to challenge Scar…. but he'd never mentioned any hesitation when he first became king.

Simba nuzzled her closer. "The land was already so broken and barren when I got back. I was worried the land wouldn't be able to heal, and that we'd have to move the pride...I was scared I wouldn't be able to fix what Scar broke …. But I knew my father was watching over me and I had Nala by my side the whole time."

He pulled back and looked his daughter in the eyes. "I'll always be watching over you Kiara … and you'll have Kovu by your side."

"But what if that's not enough?" Kiara sniffled.

"You have to believe in yourself." Simba said, softly. "You'll do great. I know you will."

He took a step back and started fading into light.

"Daddy …. daddy!" Kiara whined, stepping towards him. "Please don't leave daddy! Daddy!"

Simba faded away into beams of bright, white, light.

Kiara's eyes snapped open as she let out a gasp.

"Kiara?" Kovu asked, groggily. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine." Kiara said. "I just had uh .. a dream."

Kovu frowned and nuzzled her. "Was it a bad dream?"

Kiara took a second before replying, "I …. I don't know ...:"

Chapter 2

The rain had let up, leaving The Pride Lands covered in fresh dew and puddles of water. The sun was once again shining brightly in the sky. The animals went along their usual way. There was still a mist of grief in the air.

Kiara stood at the border of The Pride Lands with Kion and Rani.

"Have a safe trip back." Kiara said, nuzzling her younger brother.

"We will." Kion said. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Kiara let out a small, dry laugh. "I … I think I'll be okay … thanks Kion …"

Kion turned to Rani. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah ..." Rani groaned slightly, folding her ears back a bit.

Kion frowned. "What's wrong, Rani?"

"N … nothing … I'm fine,I'm fine!" Rani tried to reassure, forcing a rather pained looking smile.

Kion wasn't sure and went over to his mate's side. "You're not hurt are you?" He asked, worriedly, checking her over for any injuries.

Rani rolled her eyes slightly . "No Kion, I said I'm f … Ow!" She stumbled to the ground.

"Rani!" Kion and Kiara shouted. Kiara rushed over to Rani's side, putting her paw gently on her back.

"Kion …" She said through gritted teeth. "... Kiara …."

"Please, tell me what's wrong!" Kion was nearly begging at this point.

"My stomach …" She winced. "I … I've got a really bad cramp … Ow!"

"Can you get up?" Kiara asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"I … I can try …" Rani rolled onto her stomach and staggered up. "If … if I can just make it ... to the ... Tree ... of Life … I'll be … fine …"

As she took a step towards Kion, her legs wobbled and shook. "... I can … make it ..."

Rani took another step and stumbled to the ground.

"Rani!" Kion crouched beside her. "... You can't make it to The Tree of Life like this … you need help now!"

He turned to his sister. "Kiara! Get Rafiki!"

"R ... right!" Kiara breathed out anxiously. She ran towards the direction of Rafiki's tree, trying to keep herself calm.

You can do this Kiara … You can do this! Keep calm! Keep calm! This is your first big task as queen ...You can't let it get to you! You have to stay calm! You're the queen now, you can't let fear stop you ... You need to be there for your Pride! Right now you need to be there for Rani and Kion … your family!

Kiara breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rafiki's tree in the distance.

Sitting on one of the large branches, Rafiki was adding a fresh coat of paint to Kiara's portrait, highlighting it in various shades of blue and gold.

Rafiki looked up to the sky. "Oh Simba, your daughter is going to make The Pride Lands proud! The ceremony yesterday went very well. The Pride seems ready to accept Kiara as their queen."

He stuck his thumb into a darker shade of paint and touched up the mane on Kovu's drawing. "She and Kovu will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in the pride, I just know it."

A small breeze passed by as Simba acknowledged the wise mandrill's words. Groups of ants, dung beetles, and termites made their way up the branches of Rafiki's tree. Even when they didn't have a message for him, Rafiki was glad to have their company.

Taking some pink paint, Rafiki put a small line over Kovu's eye. "We can finally let the scars of the past heal, and we'll be even stronger than before!"

Rafiki sighed happily as he pulled back to admire his work. "I think things can only go up from here …"

A few of the bugs started to scurry around frantically, catching Rafiki's attention.

Something is wrong ...

"Rafiki!"

He looked down to see the distraught lioness, looking up at him. "Kiara?"

"Rani's hurt!"

"What happened!?" Rafiki asked.

"I … I … I don't know." Kiara said shakily. "She and Kion were about to leave and she just … collapsed!"

"Oh dear …" Rafiki sighed in worry. He hurried down the tree to Kiara's side. "Bring me to her."

Kiara nodded and took Rafiki to her brother and his mate.

Rani laid on the ground, groaning in pain, as Kion stayed beside her, grooming her fur.

"Rafiki …" Kion sighed in relief. He moved out of the way so he could examine her.

"What is wrong?" Rafiki asked gently, stroking the young lioness' face.

"My … my … my stomach …" Rani groaned.

Rafiki moved to the other side of her and put his hands on various parts of her stomach. "Tell me if any part hurts when I touch it, okay?"

"Ok … Ow!" Rani winced.

Rafiki stopped and examined the area that had caused her pain in her lower stomach. He prodded at it again.

"Ow! Stop it! That hurts!" Rani whined.

A large smile formed on Rafiki's face as he let out a joyous laugh.

"Rafiki? What's going on?" Kion asked in confusion. "Is Rani okay?"

"Oh, Rani is perfectly fine!" Rafiki said.

"But my stomach.." Rani tried to protest.

"This …" Rafiki said, grabbing her paw, and placing it where the pain was. "... is your baby ..."

"My what!?" Rani asked in shock.

"You're pregnant!" Rafiki proclaimed excitedly.

Rani tried to sit up. "Am I really pregnant."

"Yes! Congratulations, you two!" Rafiki said, pushing Kion and Rani together.

"I'm … gonna be a father?" Kion breathed out, unsure what to think. He glanced over at Rani, and saw she looked anxious as well. Kion smiled widely and nuzzled her lovingly, wanting to comfort her.. "I love you Rani."

"I love you too." She purred, relaxing into him.

Kiara bounded over to them. "Kion! Rani! That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

She nuzzled both of them, purring lovingly.

"Thanks Kiara." Kion laughed slightly.

Rani smiled before groaning again and falling back on her side. "I still can't walk though ..."

"You'll be okay in a little while." Rafiki said, helping her up again. "You may need to rest for a while."

Kion helped Rani onto his back. "Come on let's go back to Pride Rock."

"Pride Rock?" Rani asked. "I thought we were going home."

Kion shook his head. "I don't think I can carry all the way back there."

"All right.." Rani said, sounding a bit unsure.

"You're both welcome to stay as long as you want." Kiara said, going to Kion's side and helping him carry Rani back to the den of Pride Rock.

Gently they laid her down on her side on a pile of leaves.

"Thanks ..." Rani groaned, closing her eyes.

"Kion? Kiara? What's going on?" Nala asked worriedly, going over to them.

"Nothing's wrong, mom." Kion reassured her. "It's just that well … uh …"

"What?" Nala asked, frowning slightly.

"I'm pregnant …" Rani groaned out,

"You're pregnant?" Nala asked, sounding excited.

"Yeah ..." Rani huffed out in pain.

"Oh, that's great!" Nala said, leaning down to nuzzle her daughter in law. She turned to Kion and gave him a loving lick on the cheek. "I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thanks mom." Kion said, silently relieved that she didn't seem upset by this.

"Is … Is it supposed to hurt this much?" Rani asked.

"It can." Nala said. "I had the same problem when I was carrying Kiara. It got a lot easier when I was pregnant with Kion."

She looked at Kion. "Chewing on mint plant helped me with my stomach you can find some for her?"

"Right, good idea." Kion said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kiara asked.

"Sure." Kion said. "It'll give us time to catch up."

The two of them headed down Pride Rock together.

"How's living at The Tree of Life going?" Kiara asked as they walked through the savannah.

"It's been great!" Kion said. "Being with Rani … is amazing! I love her so much. There's like...a warmness inside me that I've never felt before...does that make sense?"

"I get what you mean." Kiara chuckled a bit. "I feel the exact same thing when I'm with Kovu."

She sniffed the air. "I think there's a patch of mint nearby."

"There it is." Kion said, grabbing a chunk of mint out of the ground, holding them firmly in his jaw.

Kiara laughed a bit at how his cheeks puffed out, while holding the mint.

Kiara grabbed some mint too and they both headed back to Pride Rock.

Rani had managed to go from laying on her side to laying on her stomach.

Kion nearly spat out the mint leaves in front of her.

"That's gross." Rani teased.

"Hey, my mouth was starting to burn." Kion laughed.

Kiara placed her pile of mint leaves in front of Rani.

Slowly, Rani leaned forward and took a huge bite of mint leaves.

"I really hope this works." Rani said, laying her head back down on the ground.

Kion laid beside her and nuzzled her close. "Are you feeling any better at all?"

"A little...laying on my stomach doesn't hurt as bad anymore …" She said. "I think I'll be fine."

She laid her head on Kion's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Kovu and Vitani entered the den.

"Hey, we heard the good news!" Kovu said excitedly.

Kion smiled. "Yeah, I'm so happy."

He leaned down and nuzzled Rani's stomach.

Vitani smiled slyly. "Hey … I'm happy for you kid."

"Thanks Vitani." Kion said a little bashfully. He didn't want any ill feelings between him and his sister in law after the whole lion guard fiasco when Kion and the others had returned to The Pride Lands. He'd accepted that she was now the lion guard, and she and her team were doing an amazing job.

"If you need anything else, just ask." Kiara said to Rani.

"Thanks … but you don't have to …" Rani groaned out.

"No really … it's no problem …" Kiara said. "We're family now after all."

"All right … Can you help me to the watering hole?" She asked. "My mouth's kinda stinging from all this mint."

Kiara laughed a bit. "No problem."

She put her head under the crook of Rani's neck and pushed up slightly, helping her stand up. Kion was by her side too, helping steady her as they headed down Pride Rock.

There were two major water holes in The Pride Lands. One was a bit farther off, near The Elephant Graveyard. Simba was insistent that Kiara and Kion never go there without an escort. (For reasons he never fully went into, he clarified that Zazu did not count as an escort in that case …. Same with Timon and Pumbaa after the whole incident that led to her meeting Kovu.)

The one Kiara commonly went to was the small watering hole by Pride Rock. It was referred to as The Royal Water Hole. however it gained its title from its location and not usability. Simba allowed all animals to use it. It was in few of Pride Rock that he'd be able to easily see if any of his cubs were in danger at the water hole … not that anyone would try to hurt them anyways …

Kiara and Kion stopped in front of The Royal Water Hole and laid her gently on the ground. Rani lapped up water quickly, and then dunked her head under the water. She shook her head around before pulling back, and swayed slightly to dry her fur.

"Ah, that felt nice …" Rani sighed in relief.

"You wanna stay here for a while?" Kion asked.

Rani nodded, idly swirling her paw in the water.

Sounds of hooves pounded on the ground, catching the three lion's attention.

A mother zebra and her daughter stopped in front of the water hole, leaning down to take a drink. The mother pulled back and started grooming her foal. Her baby looked up and nuzzled against her.

Kion smiled warmly and looked at Rani. He nuzzled against her cheek, letting out a soft purr.

Rani laughed a bit, "Someone's feeling affectionate."

"I guess I'm just thinking about how great it's going to be, to be a dad." Kion said, resting his face on hers.

Rani smiled. "Yeah … being parents is going to be great …" Her voice faltered slightly, showing her anxiety.

A family of birds fluttered by, a mother, father, and their two babies. Kion's smile deepened as he nuzzled Rani even closer.

She relaxed slightly. "I think I'm feeling good enough to go back to Pride Rock."

Kion and Kiara helped her back up. She staggered a little bit when she first got onto her paws, but she was able to steady herself.

"I can walk by myself now." Rani said. "But thanks for helping me get down here and everything."

"No problem." Kiara said. "We're family, we look out for each other.

Rani smiled slightly. "Right … family."

The trio of lions made their way back to Pride Rock, passing various other Pride Land animals on the way back.

A mother elephant was rolling in the mud along with her calf. A gazelle and her two babies were eating a fresh patch of grass. They looked up slightly when they passed by, but when they realized they weren't hunting, they relaxed and went back to their grazing.

Kion felt his heart swell in positive emotions as they passed by many other animal parents.

I never thought I'd be a parent before Kiara was …. But he couldn't be happier.

When they made it to the base of Pride Rock, Rani's legs got shaky again trying to climb. Kion helped make sure she was steady and walked up beside her.

Once they were back in the den, Rani laid down again, resting her head on her paws.

Zazu flew in and landed in front of Kiara, bowing before her. "Good morning your highness!"

Kiara felt her stomach churn slightly at her new title. She figured it would be a while before she'd get used to being called this.

"You don't need to be so formal." Kiara let out a dry laugh. "You were my babysitter before, I think we can be … well … uh … you can just call me Kiara, okay?"

"Oh yes! Of course!" Zazu said, correcting his posture.

At least that went well … Kiara relaxed a bit.

Zazu then focused his attention on Kion and Rani.

"I've heard the great news!" Zazu said, beaming with pride. "Congratulations, you two!"

"Thanks." Kion smiled.

"Yeah." A light smile pierced Rani's lips.

"Ah, I remember when you were a baby yourself." Zazu said, nestling into the top of Kion's mane. "The Pride was thrilled when you were born! I remember it like it was yesterday …" He let out a sigh of content.

"Oh you do, do you?" Rani grinned slyly. "Why don't you tell us about it?"

Kion's face flustered as he anxiously pushed his ears back. "... N .. no Rani … I … I'm sure it's not that interesting."

"Oh come on. I wanna hear what you were like as a baby." She teased.

"And I can add in some details too!" Kiara laughed.

"As can I." Nala said, a soft smile on her face as she sat beside Kion.

Kion sighed in defeat. "All right fine …. Go ahead Zazu,mom, Kiara …"

Zazu landed in front of Rani. "He was the cutest cub ..."

Chapter 3

The sun rose on the horizon, coating Pride Rock in a brilliant shade of reddish orange. The Pride was still asleep peacefully in the den.

The royal family laid close to each other. Their young daughter Kiara was wedged between her parents, breathing gently. She nuzzled into Simba's mane and relaxed.

Nala shifted in her sleep and her eyes slowly opened. She groaned as she tried to sit up.

A sharp pain shot through her abdomen as she let out a roar of pain. Simba and Kiara awoke right away, followed by the rest of the Pride.

"Nala!" Simba breathed out in fear.

"Mommy?" Kiara whimpered.

"Simba …" Nala said through gritted teeth. "It's … it's time …"

Simba tensed up more. He turned to one of the lionesses. "Kutoa! Get Rafiki!

"Daddy? What's wrong?" Kiara asked, nuzzling against Simba's legs. "Is mommy okay?" She let out an anxious whine.

Simba sighed and looked around in haste. "Mom!"

Sarabi went over. "Yes Simba?" Her voice was filled with worry for Nala.

"Can you take Kiara on a walk?" He asked, his eyes darting back to Nala.

Sarabi gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "Of course." She nuzzled him gently.

Sarabi looked down at her granddaughter. "Come on sweetie, I wanna show you some beautiful flowers I found the other day."

"O .. okay …" Kiara sniffled. "But … is mommy going to be okay?"

Sarabi looked back over at Nala. Her mother Sarafina had already rushed to her side. Simba stood on the other side, trying to keep Nala calm. He made eye contact with his mother.

Sarabi smiled again, and without looking away said, "She'll be just just fine …"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sarabi lead Kiara onto the savannah plains. The animals were starting to wake up and go about their days as usual, not yet knowing of the big news.

The grass had mostly grown back since Scar's reign had ended, but some patches still remained bare, a reminder of the past. Everytime Sarabi came across one of these spots, she grimaced slightly.

Kiara knew roughly what happened, but not enough to mourn like everyone else. If anything she just looked a little taken off guard when her paws landed on a rough patch of dirt instead of grass like she was expecting.

"So what flowers did you see grandma?" Kiara asked, excitedly, trying to keep up with Sarabi's long strides.

"A beautiful patch of lotus flowers." Sarabi said, softly. "They're so wonderful, I think you're going to enjoy them."

Kiara's smile widened as she bounded over to Sarabi. "Wow really!? I love lotus flowers!"

Sarabi let out a small laugh. "I know you do sweetheart. That's why I wanted to show them to you."

They stopped on a small hill covered with small pink and white flowers. Giggling happily, Kiara pounced into the patch of lotus flowers and started to frolic around.

A small yellow butterfly landed on her nose, causing another fit of giggles.

Sarabi smiled as she laid down in the grass. It took her a moment, as she was getting older and sometimes her muscles ached when she tried to get up or lay down.

"Good morning your majesty!" A voice greeted.

Sarabi looked up at the hornbill fluttering above her. "Good morning Zazu."

He landed in front of the flowers and bowed to Kiara. "Good morning your grace."

Kiara looked up from the butterfly she was currently pursuing. "Hi Zazu!"

"What are you two doing up so bright and early?" He asked.

"Nala went into labor." Sarabi explained. "Simba asked me to take Kiara for a walk."

"Oh goodness!" Zazu said. "I didn't know! Why didn't anyone tell me? Ooooh … I must be there!"

"Zazu, calm down." Sarabi said, the smoothness of her voice made that easy to do.

Zazu breathed in and out trying to calm down. "Right … I might have been overreacting a bit." He let out a small, nervous laugh.

Kiara looked over. "Labor? What's that?"

"It means your little brother or sister is going to be born soon." Sarabi explained.

Kiara's face lit up. "Really!?" She started skipping through the bed of flowers, startling the butterfly away.

"Yes." Sarabi said. "But your mother needs some alone time to give birth."

"Is that why we went on a walk?" Kiara asked.

"Exactly." Sarabi said, staggering up. "Do you want to head back now and check on her?"

"Okay!" Kiara said, running to her side.

Zazu landed on Sarabi's shoulder as they headed back to Pride Rock.

"Hey grandma? What was it like when I was born?" Kiara asked.

"It was a wonderful night" Sarabi said.

"If I recall correctly, you were born during a storm." Zazu said. "Simba was in quite a panic when your mother went into labor." He let out a small chuckle.

"And when you were born, your father held you close and snuggled and groomed you the rest of the night." Sarabi said.

"Really?"

"Yes. He loved you so much Kiara …. And he still does."

When they neared the den, there was a silence in the air. Sarabi and Zazu paused in front of the entrance and looked at each other for a second.

Sarabi looked at Kiara. "Stay here for a second, all right honey?"

"All right grandma." Kiara said.

Sarabi entered and Kiara stayed put. However curiosity got the better of her and she leaned her ear in slightly, trying to listen to what was going on.

She managed to catch a few snippets of the conversation going on inside:

"He's so adorable!"

"Do you have a name picked out for him yet?"

"Congratulations!"

"He looks so strong and healthy!"

"He's got his father's fur!"

"And his grandfather's nose!"

"A look at those lovely spots on his legs!"

"He's so precious!"

"So adorable!"

Sarabi exited the den and looked at her. "Come on in Kiara."

Kiara rushed over to her mother. The lionesses gathered around her moved out of the way to let her in. She stopped in front of her mother who was grooming a newborn cub.

Nala gave her daughter a loving look. "Kiara this is Kion, your baby brother."

Kiara peaked over Nala's front legs to get a good look at him. The small cub shifted slightly, and sniffed the air. Kiara put her nose against Kion's, and he let out a small mew.

Kiara giggled and gave him a small loving lick. Kion sniffed again and nuzzled against Kiara's nose.

"Would you like to hold him?" Nala asked.

Kiara's eyes widened and a large smile spread across her face. "Yeah!"

"All right, lay down and sit very still." Nala said.

Kiara laid on her stomach, still jittering a bit.

"Keep still honey." Nala said, placing her paw slightly on Kiara's back to calm her down.

Once her shaking died down, Nala scooped Kion into her mouth and placed him in Kiara's paws. Kion shifted around, trying to find a comfortable way to lay in Kiara's arms.

Kiara nuzzled him and let out a low purr. Kion arched his head slowly and returned the nuzzle the best he could.

The lionesses gathered around Kiara, cooing at how adorable she and her younger brother were.

"Hey, we heard the great news!" Timon's voice boomed through the cave.

"Ooooh, I'm so excited to see the little guy!" Pumbaa sniffled.

"Oh Timmy!" Timon's Ma squealed in delight. "This is so exciting!"

The three of them went over to Simba and Nala.

"Timon, Pumbaa." Simba smiled. "Oh, it's nice to see you again Mzazi, it's been a while."

Timon's Ma blushed bashfully. "Oh thank you your highness."

They went over to Kiara.

"Oh, Kiara! I haven't seen you in ages!" Ma said, lovingly pinching Kiara's cheek. "You've grown so much!"

Kiara pulled back from the cheek pinching and let out a small laugh. "Hi auntie Mzazi."

"Aww, is this the little guy?" Pumbaa asked, looking at Kion.

Kiara nodded. "Yeah! His name is Kion!"

"Hey Simba! He looks just like you!" Timon said.

"I think our cubs just take after their father." Nala said,nuzzling Simba.

"Mommy?" Kiara asked.

"Yes?"

"Is Kion gonna get presented like I was?"

"Of course he is, sweetheart." Nala said. "We're gonna wait until he's a few weeks older though. That way he'll be able to see all the animals."

"Oh okay!"

That was a lot easier explanation than trying to go into how squirmy newborn cubs could be. Not to mention he'd probably be anxious to be taken away from his mother and suddenly lifted into the air. Kiara was just barely out of the toddler age herself, so it was best to keep it simple for her.

"Oh, I remember your presentation!" Ma said proudly, pinching Kiara's cheek again. "You were the cutest little thing!"

Kiara gave her a slight nuzzle. "Thanks aunt Mzazi."

She pulled back and embraced TImon. "But no one was a cuter baby than my Timmy!"

"Ma!" Timon groaned in embarrassment.

"Oh, you were the sweetest little baby!" She cooed. "Kind of fussy, but still so precious!"

She tightened her hug, squishing Timon. For an elder meerkat, she still had a vice like grip.

"Ma …" Timon coughed out. "... Too …. Tight .."

Not hearing him (or pretending she didn't), Ma kept hugging and nuzzled Timon closer.

Timon looked over bashfully at his friends. They all gave him small smiles, not trying to hide the fact that they found Ma's coddling absolutely adorable.

"All right Ma ... " Timon said, managing to push her back. "I think we're good for now."

"Oh I'm sorry Timmy." She sniffled. "It just brought back such good memories!"

Timon softened and gave her a small pat on the back, letting out a small sigh of defeat. "It's all right Ma …"

Mzazi clung to Timon again, and this time he returned the hug.

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A week later Kion's eyes had opened and he was able to take small, unsteady steps. He made his way over to his big sister who was still fast asleep.

Kion climbed up her leg and started tugging on her ear.

"Huh?" Kiara groggily groaned out, her sight coming into focus. "... Kion?"

Hearing his name, the young cub pulled back and smiled widely at Kiara. She let out a small giggle and nuzzled him. "Good morning!"

Kion let out a baby noise and bit Kiara's ear again.

"Kion, stop!" Kiara laughed. She gently pushed him off with his paw. Kion let out a small series of giggles, and snuggled into Kiara's front legs, resting his head on her chest.

"Good morning you two." Nala said, going over to them. She leaned down to their level and gave them both a loving nuzzle. She looked Kion in the eyes. "It's a big day for you sweetheart."

Kiara blinked. "What do you mean, mommy?"

"Kion's presentation is today." Nala said, grabbing Kion from her.

"Oh! Cool!" Kiara said, perking up.

Nala laid beside her and started grooming Kion. "Let's make sure you look good for your presentation sweetie. The whole Pride is going to see you today!"

Kion let out a small laugh and relaxed into his mother's grooming. Kiara got up and was about to run off to play, when Nala pulled her back. "And where do you think you're going?"

"I wanna play!" Kiara protested.

"Not until you get your bath." Nala said, pulling her closer.

"Mommy!" Kiara laughed as Nala groomed her fur.

"You want to look nice for the ceremony don't you?" Nala asked.

Kiara nodded and rested her head on Nala's paws. She switched between grooming both her cubs, until Simba came over. "Hey, can you help me out a bit here?"

"Sure." Simba chuckled. He grabbed Kiara from her, and started grooming her.

"Daddy!" Kiara giggled, relaxing in his paws.

Rafiki entered the den, a big smile on his face. He went over to the royal lion family, He embraced Simba and Nala, then gave Kiara a slight pat on the head, before looking at Kion,

"It is time, Kion." Rafiki said, a laugh in his voice.

"Hey! Don't start without us, monkey boy!" Timon's voice boomed through the cave. He entered, followed closely by his Ma, Pumbaa, and a female meerkat with a patch of light blonde hair.

The blonde meerkat stood in front of Simba and Nala and bowed. "Hello. I am Tatiana. I've recently taken my father's place in The Circle of Life, and am the leader of your friend Timon's meerkat colony in the oasis."

Simba smiled, and bowed to her. "It's nice to meet you."

"I hope it's fine I came." She said. "I wanted to make sure we had a stable diplomatic relationship."

"Hakuna Matata." Simba said, a small smile forming on his face. "I'm glad you want to have ties with the pride."

She smiled warmly. "I strive to rule differently than my father. He was stubborn to even move from our colony grounds to the oasis, let alone make a pact with a pack of lions, just because an ex colony member, his warthog friend, his mom, and great Uncle could vouch for them. I however am willing to listen to them."

Tatiania took another step forward and put her paw out to Simba. "I hope things will be well between our kingdoms."

Simba put the tip of his paw out and "shook" hers the best he could. "I'm sure things will be."

"Aww! Look at you!" Ma cooed, patting Kion's head. "You even have a little mane tuft now!"

She put her paw over her heart as she gushed over the baby lion.

"Yeah, he's pretty adorable." Timon said. "Kinda makes me wanna have a kid of my own?"

Ma's eyes lit up. "You really mean it Timmy!?"

"Ma …"

She pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh! I've always wanted to be a grandmother Timmy!"

"Ma …" Timon coughed out again. "... I … don't even …. Have a mate … yet …"

"Oh, I know Timmy! But just the thought of having grandkids makes me so happy!" She sniffled.

"I know it does, Ma." Timon said, hugging her back. "I know it does …."

"Are we ready now?" Rafiki asked.

Nala nodded and gave Kion some last second grooming.

Rafiki picked up his stick and shook the gourds at the end of it. Kion let out a small happy squeak and pawed at them. Catching one of them between his paws, he started chewing on the hard shell.

Rafiki chuckled and gently pushed Kion off the gourd. He broke it open and smeared the juice on Kion's forehead.

Not liking the feeling of it, Kion tried to paw it off his head. Rafiki grabbed a handful of dirt and poured it over Kion.

Kion went into a small sneezing fit. Nala gently licked his cheek until the sneezing subsided. Rafiki gently grabbed Kion and headed out to the tip of Pride Rock.

The animals had heard the news about the birth of Simba and Nala's second born cub, and had rushed over as soon as they could. Right now they were silent, waiting for the presentation to begin.

Simba, Nala, Kiara, Timon, Pumbaa, Ma, Sarabi, and Sarafina all followed Rafiki as he approached the edge.

Slowly he lifted Kion into the air and the animals erupted in cheers. Kion looked around curiously, a big smile forming on his face.

Paws, feet, and hooves all clamped together in celebration of the future Lion Guard. It had been a generation since they'd last had one …. And it hadn't ended on the best terms …. But they had hope that Kion would break that infamousy now surrounding the duty of the second born royal cub, and be a kind, loyal, and brave Lion Guard.

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Chapter 4

"Aw, that was cute." Rani said.

Kion blushed a bit more. "Yeah … I … I guess it kind of was cute …"

Rani smiled and started to stand up. Kion panicked slightly and helped steady her. "Are you sure you're okay to stand?"

"Yeah,I'm feeling a lot better now." Rani said. "I think we can head home now."

Kion frowned a bit more. "Okay, if you're sure you'll be fine."

"I will be." Rani said, managing to take a step forward. "We can stop and rest if we need to."

"All right." Kion said, standing by her side. He looked over at Kiara. "Thanks again for everything."

"No problem," Kiara said, giving Kion a soft nuzzle. "You're both welcome here anytime."

"Thanks Kiara." Kion looked over at Rani who was close behind.

They exited the den and made their way down Pride Rock.

Kiara let out a small sigh when they left.

"Hey, you all right?" Kovu asked, sitting beside her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kiara said, forcing a smile. "It's just that … so much has happened in the last few days …. I guess I'm just a little stressed out …"

"It's okay, I'm stressed too." Kovu said before giving her cheek a small lick. "It's weird,you know, .. being king … Especially after … everything …"

Kovu shivered a bit at the memories.

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My father said to never turn your back on an Outsider!

I now see the path to our glorious return to power!

Sleep my little Kovu, let your dreams take wing. One day when you're big and strong, you will be a king.

What is your destiny!?

I will avenge Scar …. Take his place in The Pride Lands …

I humbly ask to join your pride.

No! You were banished with the other Outsiders!

He wasn't my father, but he's still part of me …

Zira had a plot, and I was part of it, but I don't wanna be! Because … it's because I love you ...

Well done Kovu, just like we've always planned.

Exile!

Deception! Disgrace! Evil as plain as the scar on his face!

He is not one of us! He has never been one of us! He is not one of us! Not our kind!

Someone once lied to us, now we're not so blind!

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"Kovu?" Kiara's voice broke Kovu out of his intrusive thoughts.

"Yeah?" He asked, sounding still out if it.

"Are you okay?" She asked, frowning.

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What's wrong?

Nothing ….

Kovu …

It's just that my whole life I've been trained to …. Nothing ….. I gotta go ….

Kovu … wait!

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"Yeah. I'm fine." Kovu said. "I'm just not used to the whole royalty thing yet. It's just kind of weird being bowed to, and being called your highness and stuff."

Especially by an antelope who called you a disgrace …

"Yeah, pretty surreal huh?" Kiara let out a nervous chuckle before relaxing into Kovu's mane. "I'm sure we'll get used to it."

"I sure hope so." Kovu sighed.

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The Outlands were believed to be fully abandoned by this point, having the same fate as The Elephant Graveyard. The only remaining residents were all the termites, still scurrying through their mounds.

However that just made it prime real estate for more animals to move in.

A small cackle of hyenas shuffled in, looking around anxiously.

"Is it safe,Aiube?" A male hyena whimpered.

The leader went over to a pile of bones and sniffed it. There was a vague scent of lion, but it was faded enough for her to know they hadn't been here in a long time.

"I think so, Hofu." She said, going back to him.

Three other hyenas peaked out from behind Hofu, still unsure of their surroundings.

"We'll be safe here." Aiube said, going over to them. "There's no fresh scents here. I think it's abandoned."

"The hunting grounds don't look too promising …" One of the hyenas growled out slightly.

"Maybe not, Jeuri, but it's safe and that's all that matters." She said to him, before turning to the others. "Kidogo, Utii, what do you think?"

"I think it's great!" Utii spoke up right away, as she bounded up to Aiube's side.

"Yeah it's … nice …" Kidogo said, looking around still a bit unsure about her surroundings.

"We still don't have any food." Jeuri pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"We'll find some. " Aiube said. "I could scavenge if you'd look for a proper den for us Hofu?"

"Yes, of course!" He said, already trying to scout a place.

Aiube went off, sniffing around for any scrap of food.

The main area of The Outlands didn't really offer anything besides old bones, or termites. They couldn't live off pieces of bone and bugs … at least not if they wanted to survive that was.

Letting out a growl of desperation, she started digging, hoping to find something burrowed in the ground.

Instead she found a loose root.

Aiube sighed and started chewing on it, hoping it might subside her cravings, even if just a little. She gripped it tightly in paws and bit deeply into the wood. It felt nice against her teeth, tricking her brain for the moment into thinking she'd found a meal.

Once she was done, Aiube dropped the root and headed onward. Eventually she came across a small swamp, connecting to the other side of the territory.

Aiube paused in front of the water and examined it. Slowly, she dipped her paw in. It's shallow enough that I can wade through it.

She slowly entered the water and made her way through. She had just barely made it halfway across when she heard deep snarling.

Panicked Aiube looked around to see dozens of small yellow eyes on her. A crocodile lifted his head above the water and snarled.

Quickly looking around, Aiube caught sight of a rock and splashed her way over. Her paws were wet, making it hard to get a grip on the rock. Her paws slipped and she fell under the swamp water.

Up above her, she could see the crocodiles circling around where she'd fallen. Aiube desperately tried to paddle her way from the circle, but caught the eye of another crocodile in the process.

The crocodile lunged forward, gripping the hyena's leg in his mouth. She bit down on her lip in pain as she tried to free herself. With a rough jerk she was able to get out of his grasp. Up above her was a branch.

Aiube swam to the surface, grabbing onto the branch as tightly as she could. She put her front paws on it first, before pulling her hind legs up too, wincing when her injured leg was surfaced.

Hesitant she looked down to see a red tint in the water, and a massive wound on her leg. The crocodiles circled around her, snapping their jaws.

Aiube shimmied her way up the branch, landing in a patch of grass above. She groaned as her head hit the ground and she lost consciousness.

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Chapter 5

Aiube came to a while later, shaking her head harshly. She looked around and took in her surroundings. She was laying on a patch of grass, no longer in the dead looking Outlands.

As she tried to stagger up, a sharp pain shot through her leg. She bit down tightly on her jaw as she forced herself to take a step forward. With a small limp, she managed to stagger forward slightly, before stumbling down again.

Come on Aiube ...You can do this … you need to find someone … you need help …

She pushed herself forward with her front paws, sliding against the ground. Desperately she looked around, trying to find anyone nearby.

Aiube groaned and stopped squirming, her chin hitting the ground. Her ears folded back and she looked to the sky. Please …. Help me ….

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Vitani perched on top of a rock, scanning the Pride Lands. The rest of her guard in the surrounding area.

Patrol wasn't always the most exciting job, especially since things had calmed down significantly since Kovu and Kiara united the Prides. Still Vitani kept her guard up, taking great pride in the fact she was keeping her new home safe.

"Vitani!" One of her guard's frantic yells brought her to full attention.

"Tazama." Vitani acknowledged her. "What's wrong?"

"There's a hyena near the west border." Tazma said.

"A hyena?" Vitani asked, slightly confused. They hadn't had any reports of hyenas in The Pride Lands since Kion's return. She wasn't even sure if there were any in the areas surrounding the Pride Lands anymore.

When she and Nuka visited The Elephant Graveyard it had been wiped out completely. She tried to shake the memory out of her head, not wanting to remember the reason she and Nuka were there in the first place.

"Do they look hostile?" Vittani asked.

Tazama shook her head. "They seem to be moving slowly."

Vitani groaned and hopped off her rock. "They might be hurt. Get the rest of the guard, I'll head over there now."

"Are you sure?" Tazama asked, frowning slightly.

Vitani gave her a small, reassuring, yet sly looking smile. "Hey, I'll be fine, okay?"

Tazama returned the smile, anxiously. "Okay."

To make sure she was all right, Vitani gave her a soft nuzzle. Tazama felt her legs wobble and her knees buckle and she relaxed into Vitani's warm touch.

She pulled away and headed off, and Tazama went to gather the rest of the lion guard.

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Aiube closed her eyes tightly as the hot savannah sun beat down on her. Maybe there's a water hole nearby ….

Slowly, she forced her eyelids open and looked around. All she could see was grass all around her. Aiube sighed in defeat and put her head back on the ground. I'm going to die out here aren't I?

While she laid there, fearing for the future, she felt a small tap on her back. "Hey uh … are you okay?"

Aiube's eyes shot open as she examined the lioness towering over her. Her blue eyes looked filled with concern, more than anything, but Aiube couldn't help but notice her strong build, sharp claws, and dominant demeanor. It sent shivers down her spine, making her unable to answer her question.

Noticing her discomfort, Vitani knelt down to her level, and lowered her voice. "Hey, it's okay … I'm not going to hurt you." She tilted her shoulder slightly so the hyena the mark of a roaring lion. "I'm the leader of The Lion Guard."

Aiube's expression changed from worry to that of confusion. "L … Lion Guard?"

Vitani stared at her for a second, before a realization hit her. "Oh … Oh! You're not from around here, are you?"

The hyena shook her head. "My cackle and I left when another group tried to start a fight for our territory. We didn't want to risk getting hurt, so we left." She looked back behind her. "We're living over there."

Vitani's eyes widened a bit. "The .. Outlands?"

"Yeah, I … I guess. If The Outlands is the barren place filled with termite mounds, that is."

"Yep." Vitani chuckled dryly. "That's The Outlands."

"So you've been there?" She asked, curiously.

"Been there?" Vitani snorted. "I used to live there."

"You … you did?" Aiube blinked.

"Yep." Vitani said. "But, things are better now."

"Oh that's …. Good." She winced as she tried to get up again.

"I forgot, are you okay?" Vitani asked, frowning.

"Not really." She said through gritted teeth, looking back at her leg. "I was hoping to find some food. As you probably know there's not really any there."

"I've had termites for dinner more times when I can count on all four paws." Vitani laughed again.

"So I tried to cross the swamp to get across and I … I didn't know there were crocodiles." She said, keeping her gaze on her leg.

Vitani grimaced. "Yeah I've had some … run ins with them before."

"Oh, really?" Aiube asked, sounding curious.

"Yeah. There wasn't a lot of fun things to do in The Outlands." Vitani said as she started to lift her onto her back. "I can tell about it on the way back."

"The way back … where?" Aiube asked.

"You're hurt, I'm taking you back to my Pride." Vitani said. "We have a shaman who can patch up your leg."

"Th … thank you …" Aiube breathed out, clinging onto Vitani's neck.

"Hey, no problem." Vitani said. "It's the lion guard's job to protect The Circle of Life."

"The Circle of Life?" Aiube blinked.

Vitani chuckled. "I guess we have a lot to go over …"

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Chapter 6

"We live in a predator and prey world." Vitani explained, trudging through The Pride Lands, the injured hyena on her back. "And we all rely on each other in The Circle of Life. Us predators eat prey, but when we die we become part of the earth, and the prey eat the grass. And thus the circle of life continues. We need each other to survive. Do you understand?"

"I never thought about it that way." Aiube said softly. "I was just focused on survival."

"I understand that." Vitani said. "It's hard when your whole life is just surviving." And unwarranted hate.

The grassy plain suddenly faded into a field of ash, plants struggling to regrow.

"Oh gee …" Vitani sighed.

"What's wrong?" Aiube asked.

"I hate walking through here." She explained.

"Why?"

That's it! Now come on, Kiara has started her hunt! We have to move quickly!

Let's …. Light ….. Fire!

Roasty Toasty Princess! Roasty Toasty Princess!

Vitani shook her head, trying to get the thought away. How much life did we destroy in that fire?

"Just … bad memories." Vitani said. "Uh .. why don't I tell you some stories about when I lived in The Outlands?" I need the distraction …

"Oh uh, okay!" Aiube said, perking up a bit.

"I think I'll start with the crocodile story …"

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Nuka bent his back leg, trying in vain to claw all the termites out of his fur. Letting out a frustrated groan, he laid on the ground and scooted back and forth, scratching his back against the ground.

Vitani looked up from the root she was chewing on and rolled her eyes.

"These, dang termites!" Nuka growled, nipping at his leg.

"Careful, you don't wanna chew your leg off, do ya?" Vitani laughed.

Nuka stopped for a moment to glare at her. "Ha, ha, real funny, Vitani! You don't understand how annoying these things are!"

"Yeah …" Vitani said, walking over to him. "That's because I actually clean my fur."

"Hey! I clean myself!" Nuka protested, moving over to scratch his back against the now unoccupied root.

Vitani chuckled. "If you did, you wouldn't have become a termite mound yourself!"

"If you did you wouldn't have become a termite mound yourself." Nuka mocked her.

"Have you ever even been in water?" Vitani asked.

"Well I uh … uh … you … you see …. We don't have any water here you little termite!" Nuka snarled.

"Of course we do." Vitani said.

Nuka looked at her, curiously. "Near the Pride Land's border."

Nuka's ears fell flat. "You mean where all the crocodiles are?"

"Yeah! Unless there's another pool of water I don't know about." Vitani teased.

"Mother doesn't like us going there!" Nuka shot back.

"No she doesn't like us crossing the other side to the pride border." Vitani said. "As long as we stay on our side, we're fine."

Nuka grumbled, scratching himself and trying to think of a way to weasel himself out of this situation. "But … but …. Ugh! Fine! But if we run into any crocodiles …."

"Oh, I'm sure you can fight them off." Vitani joked. "The big, strong, lion you are!"

"Hey! I too could take on a crocodile!" Nuka huffed.

"Then, why don't you prove it?" Vitani asked slyly.

"Hmph! Why don't I!?"

"Well come on, lets go." Vitani said, already heading in the direction of the swamp.

Nuka paused for a second before going after her.

The two stopped in front of the small swamp, and Vitani looked over at Nuka, a wicked grin on her face.

"Well? You going in or not?"

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah! Yeah! Of course I am!" Nuka stammered. "It's just uh … I just ate …. So I have to wait half an hour before I can go in."

Vitani stared at him blankly. "What did you eat?"

"Huh? Oh uh let's see … some termites …. And a nice side of dirt!" Nuka sputtered out.

"Yeah, I think you're going to be fine." Vitani said, trying to nudge him into the water.

"But what if it's cold!?" Nuka whined.

"It's a hundred degrees out here, Nuka! The water's not gonna be cold!"

"Well uh … we don't know that for sure …" Nuka said.

Vitani rolled her eyes. "Then put your paw in first to test it, genius!"

Nuka dipped his paw in the water and quickly pulled it out. "Oh, yeah! Brr! That water's freezing! Ain't no way this lion's getting in there!"

Vitani put her paw in the water and looked at her older brother in annoyance. "Nuka, it's like a hot spring."

Nuka panicked. "Well uh …. To …. To you maybe … but I'm more sensitive to cold than you are!"

"Nuka, just get in the water." Vitani sighed.

"Hey uh … I … I have an idea!"

Vitani narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Why don't you go in first?" Nuka asked, pushing her slightly towards the edge of the pool of water.

"If I go in first, then will you go in?" Vitani asked.

Nuka nodded.

"All right, fine." Vitani sighed. She waded into the water and swam out a bit. "See, I'm perfectly fine, now come on!"

Nuka gulped as he shakily put his front paw in, followed by the others, leaving him just standing near the shore.

"Come on!" Vitani urged. "You can't just stand there! Come here!"

Nuka hesitantly took another step forward, getting into the deeper part of the swamp.

"Now you're doing it!" Vitani said. "Come on, a little farther!"

Nuka went in more, soon the water going over his shoulder blades and back!"

"There you go!" Vitani said, positioning herself to float on her back. "Doesn't that feel nice."

Nuka's face lit up. "Yeah! It actually kinda does! I'm not itchy for once!"

"Yeah!" Vitani laughed, rolling again to float on her stomach. "Termites hate the water!"

Nuka allowed himself to sink down more into the water, letting it overtake his body, easing the past and present bites of termites on his skin.

Vitani smirked in victory, until she heard a low growling sound. Quickly she snapped her head back, and was eye to eye with a crocodile.

Vitani screamed as she pounced out of the water, back to the safety of dry land.

"Huh? What's gotten into you, you little termite?" Nuka sneered. He turned his head, meeting the same glowing yellow eyes Vitani had.

Nuka yelped and followed Vitani's lead out of the water, as the two raced back to the middle of The Outlands.

"Oh! I knew this would be dangerous!" Nuka groaned.

Vitani laughed. "But, you gotta admit, it was kinda funny!"

"Funny!? How was this funny!?"

"You should've been the look on your face!" Vitani laughed. "It was priceless!"

"Hey! You were scared too!" Nuka pointed out.

"Yeah, because I was caught off guard!" Vitani said. She ran in front of Nuka and stopped, forcing him to skid to a halt. She leaned down and growled playfully. "If I wasn't surprised, I could've taken on that croc, no problem!"

Nuka laughed. "Oh please! A little runt like you, take on a crocodile?"

"I so could!" Vitani laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Nuka smirked. "Prove it!"

Vitani let out a playful snarl as she lunged towards Nuka. He let her get the first tackle in and fell to the ground.

"I got'cha!" Vitani gloated.

"Not for long!" Nuka said, wrapping his paws around her.

Vitani laughed and the two continued to play fight.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 7

I kinda miss moments like those .. Vitani mentally sighed.

"Your brother sounds so silly!" Aiube giggled.

"He was …" Vitani frowned.

"Oh, I … I'm sorry …" Aiube said.

"No, it's okay." Vitani said. "I'm still healing from his death, but I'm starting to get better."

She looked at the horizon and saw a large baobab tree. "We're getting your leg doing okay?"

"Yeah, it still hurts though." She winced.

"Just hang on, we're almost there." Vitani said gently.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rafiki sat in his tree, all his bugs surrounding him. He held half of a gourd, touching up some of his paintings on his tree.

"Oh Simba!" Rafiki said, adding more color to Kion's portrait. "The Circle of Life will continue with your son Kion! Aren't you proud?"

Simba pushed a small breeze towards Rafiki, showing his support. Rafiki chuckled and touched up the portrait next to Kion's. "Queen Rani and King Kion will make great parents."

Simba shot another spurt of wind in agreement.

Rafiki started drawing the outline of another lion under the two portraits. "Things are looking up .."

"Rafiki!"

"Vitani?" He looked down to see the lioness with a hyena on her back, and froze.

Vitani gently set Aiube on the ground. "I found her near the west border. Her back left leg got bit up pretty badly by a crocodile. Can you help her?"

"Hmmm .." Rafiki thought. "Give me a second to get what I need."

The mandrill scurried into the branches and grabbed his supplies, before hurrying down to them. He went over and examined Aiube's leg, carefully.

She winced, folding her ears back.

"Hmm, I see." Rafiki said. "I think it will be fine, but you'll need to rest."

He took half of a gourd filled with a green liquid and smeared in on Aiube's leg.

She whimpered and whined, jerking her leg back.

"I know it hurts." Rafiki frowned. "But it will prevent infection."

"Okay …. Thank … you …" Aiube said, still clenching her jaw.

Rafiki finished up by wrapping her leg in a leaf tourniquet, and smothering a wax like substance to keep it secure. "There. Keep the tourniquet on until the pain stops, okay?"

"Thank you again." Aiube said, smiling slightly.

Rafiki looked at Vitani. "May I speak to you in private?"

"Oh yeah, sure." Vitani said, sounding slightly confused.

They walked behind the baobab tree, out of Aiube's ear shot.

"Where … did you find this hyena?" Rafiki asked.

"Tazama spotted her on the west border." Vitani explained.

Rafiki sighed. "You better get her somewhere safe."

"I'm taking her to Pride Rock." Vitani said.

"I … don't think that's a good idea." Rafiki said, sounding worried.

"Why not?" Vitani asked.

"The Pride Lands … has a history with hyenas." Rafiki said.

"You mean because of Scar?" Vitani clarified.

"Yes. They ravaged the land and left nothing." Rafiki sighed.

Vitani blinked. "But, she wasn't one of Scar's hyenas."

"Yes, but the Pride may be hostile towards her." Rafiki said.

Vitani narrowed her eyes. "Why would they?"

"Scar's hyenas, they …"

"Listen." Vitani sighed. "I get what you're trying to say, but it's wrong …. This Pride accepted my pride into theirs. We're past all this hate!"

"Hmm …" Rafiki looked up to the sky, unsure. An unsteady wind brushed passed by them.

"We are one." Vitani said, firmly.

The breeze picked up slightly, causing Vitani to shiver. Once she could take the feeling of cold away, she looked at Rafiki straight in the eyes. "I'm going to take her to Pride Rock where she can rest."

Rafiki's frown deepened. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I'm sure." Vitani said. "Kiara and Kovu will understand more than anyone."

"If you say so …" Rafiki sighed.

They headed back to the other side of the tree, where Aiube laid.

"Are you feeling better?" Vitani asked.

"A little bit." She said, trying to stand up again.

Vitani rushed over, and out her head under her chin in support. "Whoa, slow down. I don't think you're going to be walking on that leg for a while."

She shifted, allowing Aiube to lay on her back again. "I have somewhere you can rest that you'll be safe."

Aiube hugged Vitani's neck. "Thank you again. You're so kind."

Vitani chuckled. "I dunno if kind is the right word, but I do try."

As Vitani walked off with Aiube, Rafiki climbed his tree again. He sighed as he looked to the sky. "Oh, Simba … I have a bad feeling about this …"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 8

As Vitani headed back to Pride Rock, she caught the attention of the animals. They murmured amongst each other as she passed by.

"What's she doing?"

"Is that a hyena?"

"Where's she taking her?"

"Are they headed to Pride Rock?"

"Why is that hyena here?"

Aiube frowned, and hid her face in Vitani's neck. "Are they talking about me?"

Vitani frowned as she looked back at the gossiping animals.

"I think so …" She sighed, her voice low.

"Oh." Aiube frowned, and buried her face even deeper into Vitani's fur.

"Why don't I tell you another story to keep your mind off it?" Vitani asked.

"Okay!" She sounded excited about the idea.

"Anything specific?"

Aiube thought for a second. "... What happened when you got hurt … in The Outlands I mean."

Vitani sighed a bit. "It didn't go as smooth as it does here …"

Kovu crawled on the ground, his eyes set on Vitani who was perched on a rock. A small, playful snarl escaped his lips as he pounced at her from behind, and tried to pin her down.

"Hey!" Vitani laughed, managing to pin him instead. "You thought you could sneak up on me, huh!?"

Kovu laughed and pawed at her face. "Well, I did sneak up on you."

"But I'm the one who won." She laughed.

"That's what you think!" Kovu teased, pushing her off.

Vitani stumbled back, hitting her head on another rock.

"Vitani!" Kovu panicked and ran over to her. "Vitani, are you okay!?"

She let out a groan of pain as she looked up at Kovu, her eyelids half were small patches of blood nearby.

His breathing increased, as he looked around in a panic. "Nuka!"

There was a loud groan as their older brother trudged over. "What is it you little termite!?"

"Vitani's hurt!" Kovu whined.

Nuka narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What do you mean Vitani's hurt?"

"She … she … she's bleeding!" Kovu whimpered out.

Nuka rolled his eyes. "It's probably not that bad you baby."

Vitani tilted her head and could only see a large blur of brown getting closer. "Nuka?"

Nuka's eyes widened. "Oh … oh! Vitani!" He panicked as his paws started to pool in her blood. "M … Mother! Mother!"

"Stop … yelling …" Vitani groaned, moving her paws to her ears.

"Mother! Mother!" Nuka yelled again, stepping out of the blood. "Mother!"

Kovu went over to Vitani and put his paw on her back. "Vitani, are you okay?"

Vitani let out a small groan, turning to face him.

"What is it Nuka!?' Zira snarled in annoyance.

"Mother, Vitani is …"

Vitani couldn't make out words anymore as her vision started to fade. She could hear Zira and Nuka's frantic conversation, and Kovu still talking to her.

The last thing she saw before passing out, was someone rushing over to her.

Vitani woke up, still groggy, to her head being groomed. She nuzzled into the lion's chest, relaxing her wound was cleaned.

She let out a goan on accident, which was met with a soft nuzzle and purr. Her vision was still blurred and her ears ringing.

Vitani wanted to look at her mother and tried to turn her head towards her. The lion put their paw on her back softly, and forced her to stay still.

Vitani snuggled deeper into the lion's front legs and tried to relax. She stayed like this for a while, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Finally her ears stopped ringing, and her vision cleared up. She slowly turned her head again. "Mother?"

This was met with a deep laugh. "I'm not mom."

"Oh, Nuka?" Vitani asked, groggily.

"Yeah, ya little termite, it's me." Nuka said, although his voice remained gentle.

"Thanks .." Vitani mumbled out, feeling suddenly a bit bashful.

"Don't worry about it, termite." He said, before grooming her fur more. "Are you feeling better?"

"A bit yeah … Where's mom anyway?"

Nuka let out a groan of disgust and rolled his eyes. "Training Kovu."

"Oh … "Vitani frowned and snuggled deeper into Nuka's paws. "That's all she seems to do anymore …"

"I know." Nuka groaned. "It's always Kovu this, Kovu that! I'm sick of it!"

Vitani grimaced and held her ears again. She still had a splitting headache and her brother's complaining wasn't helping much. "Don't worry Nuka, it'll be worth it when we're back in The Pride Lands …"

Nuka responded through his teeth, "It better …"

987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkulOQI1Np5

Chapter 9

Vitani made it just outside the den of Pride Rock.

Her guard hurried over to check on their leader.

"I see you found the hyena." Tazama said, frowning a bit.

"Yeah, what's with that look?" Vitani asked.

"Well uh … we just uh …" Tazama trailed off.

"... Didn't expect you to bring her here …" Kasi finished.

Vitani tilted her head. "Why not? She's hurt and needs somewhere to rest."

The rest of the guard looked at each other, unsure what to say.

"Sweetheart …" Tazama said, taking a step forward. "This pride is kind of … biased towards hyenas, aren't they?"

Vitani looked even more confused. "That was a long time ago …. You know, before the whole we are one thing?"

The lionesses still looked unsure.

"All right .. if you say so .." Tazama said, giving Vitani a loving lick on the cheek.

Vitani gave her a soft nuzzle before heading inside the den, and setting Aiube down gently.

Nala, Kiara, and Kovu went over curiously, as Vitani's guard watched from the cave entrance.

"Is that …" Kovu trailed off.

"A hyena?" Nala asked, in shock.

"I found her near the west border. She's injured and needs a place to rest." Vitani explained.

Kiara stepped forward. "She's more than welcome to.."

"No." Nala said firmly.

Kiara looked back at her. "Mom, what are you …"

"No!" She said, this time a bit louder.

Aiube whimpered as she scooted herself closer to Vitani.

"Mom, she's hurt!" Kiara said.

"And?" Nala challenged.

Kiara wasn't sure what to say,and stumbled out the starts of a few unfinished sentences. Kovu stepped in and looked at Nala straight in the eyes, his voice just as intense as hers was, "She has every right to be here ... we don't banish anyone from our pride anymore …"

Nala let out a low growl. "You don't understand what the hyenas put us through! Either of you!"

Kovu got more irritated, "And you don't understand what Simba put us through!"

"Don't you dare talk about Simba like that!" She roared.

"Why not? Because you can't acknowledge he had faults as the king?" Kovu asked. "That's how my mo…. Zira thought of Scar. As a flawless ruler … and look where that got her …"

Nala roared more.

"Please , stop fighting!" Kiara begged, getting between them.

Nala looked surprised. "Did you hear what he said about your father!?"

"Yes." Kiara said, her tone turning serious. "And he's right …. Mom … we have to put the past behind us …"

Nala snarled deeply. "I can't believe my own daughter would …"

"We are one." Kiara said sternly, still standing her ground.

Nala exhaled deeply through her nose. "I know, I know …"

Kiara sighed and took a step towards her. "Mom, I'm sorry … I know I'll never understand what you went through or what Scar's reign was like, but …. We really want a better future for this pride, one where everyone can be accepted."

Nala sighed again. "I know sweetheart, and that's a good thing … but ...it might take me awhile to get used to …" She looked over at Aiube, who folded her ears back sadly. "... all this …"

Aiube whined and hid her face in her paws.

VItani took a step forward. "She's not one of Scar's hyenas. She left her old territory to avoid battling with another cackle, and now she's hurt and needs protection." She looked back at the lionesses still gathered by the entrance of the den. "... and The Guard will do that."

Aiube smiled and managed to relax a bit.

The guard looked at each other, still unsure, but nodded in agreement and followed Vitani over to the hyena.

Nala sighed. "I'm sorry … this is just gonna take time for me to get used too …"

Kovu and Kiara frowned and followed her out of the den.

"Hey, do you need anything?" Vitani asked her, gently.

Aiube's eyes suddenly widened. "Crap!"

"What is it?" Vitani asked.

"My cackle!" She panicked. "They're still in The Outlands! They're probably worried sick about me!"

Vitani frowned. "If you want I can bring them here for you."

Aiube's eyes lit up. "Would you!? Oh thank you so much!"

"Hey, no problem." Vitani said with a soft smirk. "It's my job to help Pride Land animals."

Pride Land animals? Aiube thought in confusion. Am I one of them now? Is it that easy?

Feeling a warm, comforting feeling pass over her, as she relaxed and fell asleep.

Chapter 10

"Hey, no problem. It's my job to help Pride Land animals."

Nala's ears perked up at these words. Pride Land Animals. She shivered a bit, but tried to hide it.

Kiara frowned. "Are you okay, mom?"

Nala was tempted to say 'yes' and just let it go, but the knot in her stomach tightened. She couldn't hide her feelings forever. "Listen … Scar's region … was tough on all of us … I just don't like thinking about it too much …"

Nala looked away from her daughter and son in law, trying to think of how to explain it to them. "... I might need to talk about it, and get it out of my system … if you're willing to listen, I'll tell you all about Scar's region tonight …" She looked at Kovu. "... There's some things you and Vitani should know before I take my place in The Circle of Life ..."

Kovu blinked. "Like what?"

Nala sighed again. "I'll explain … tonight …"

With that, Nala went back into the den of Pride Rock.

Vitani and her Guard neared the southern border of The Pride Lands.

"Are you sure about this sweetheart?" Tazama asked, nuzzling into Vitani's neck.

Vitani gave her a gentle nuzzle and a lick back. "Yes, I'm sure. I don't think they'll be a threat either."

"Pppft! Even if they do, we can take them!" Shabaha said.

Vitani sighed. "We're not going to fight them. We've done enough fighting already." Her tone alluded to the war with The Pride Lands, only months prior.

For once Shabaha blacked down. "Right … right …" The war was still fresh in her mind too. At the time she'd been proud of all the lions she'd taken on, how many she'd run off. Now it just seemed like a stark contrast to how things were now, especially being part of the guard.

"Besides, that hyena said they ran away to avoid fighting. I don't think they're going to want to fight us." Vitani stopped when they neared the swamp near the border. She looked carefully for any movement in the water before heading down.

She and her guard nearly hugged the shoreline, trying to get passed.

A bubbling in the water alerted all of them.

"Well, well, well." A crocodile laughed as he emerged from the water.

A small snarl escaped Vitani's lips as she glared him down.

"What do we have here?" He grinned, inching towards the shoreline. 'I haven't seen you Outsiders in ages."

"We're not Outsiders anymore, we're Pride Landers now." She said, sternly.

"Right, right." He said, still grinning. "I forgot. You're living in those fancy Pride Lands, with an abundance of food. Meanwhile, we're still stuck here, still scavenging for food."

Vitani felt her stomach churn with guilt, remembering her own life in The Outlands, scrounging for food herself, nearly starving. They have it just as bad as we did, don't they? No wonder they were so hostile, they were hungry. No wonder they went after us!

Vitani frowned. "I …" She sighed. "Why don't you join us in The Pride Lands?"

The crocodile looked surprised. "Really? You'd let us in?"

The guard looked at each other, also confused.

"Well, I don't have the power to let you in, but the king and queen do, and they want their pride to be united. They believe, We are one."

"We are what?" The crocodile asked.

"We are one." Vitani repeated. "We're all part of The Circle of Life."

"Should we do something?" Tazama whispered to the rest of the guard.

"Why? Vitani knows what she's doing." Kasi said. "You think you'd trust your girlfriend a bit more."

"I do trust her!" Tazama protested. "But that doesn't mean I can't be worried about her."

"Again! If anyone causes us any problems, I can take 'em!" Shabaha boasted. "Bila hofu!"

Vitani and the crocodile both looked over at the lioness. In response she let out a laugh. Vitani just shrugged it off and finished her conversation with the crocodile. "We'll be back with the rest of the hyenas, and then we can all head there together."

"All right." The crocodile's tone had softened since the start of the conversation. "Hey uh … thanks …"

Vitani smiled warmly. "No problem. I'm the leader of the Lion Guard, it's my job to protect The Circle of Life." She turned away, looking over her shoulder back at him. "We'll be back."

She headed over to her guard, and they went to the termite mounds.

Stepping foot there again sent a shiver down Vitani's spine. Looking at the rest of her team, she could sense the same uneasiness within them.

Spending your formative years in such a place wasn't good mentally for, well … anyone, let alone a cub who was trained as a second in command to a ruthless leader bloodthirsty for revenge under false pretenses of murder.

Looking down, she saw a bunch of termites scurry past. She lifted her paw slightly, allowing them to pass by in a single line.

Vitani looked around, for any sign of the other hyenas.

"Where is she?"

"She's been gone for quite a while …"

"Do you think she's okay?"

Vitani's ears perked up when she heard the conversation nearby. She headed towards the termite mounds and looked around.

"I sure hope so."

"I'm worried about her …"

"We're all worried about her!"

As Vitani got closer, her paw snagged on a root, causing it to snap. The talking stopped and Vitani groaned. Crap. Well I might as well just go in.

Vitani turned the corner and was face to face with a group of four hyenas. When they saw her they froze.

Sensing their fright, Vitani softened her voice. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The hyenas looked at each other, unsure. One of the hyenas stepped forward and let out a warning growl. "Who are you?"

"I'm Vitani." She said, still keeping her tone calm. "Leader of The Lion Guard."

The hyena's look of anger turned into one of confusion. "The Lion Guard?"

Vitani nodded. "We're the protectors of The Circle of Life."

The hyena's eyes widened and he took a step back. "We're? There's …. More of you?" He gulped, folding his ears back.

"Yes." Vitani took a step towards them. "But, we're not going to harm you. I promise."

Another hyena took a step forward, tilting his head to the side. "Okay, if you're not here to fight, then why are you here?"

"We found your cackle leader injured in The Pride Lands." Vitani explained.

"Aiube!" The group gasped.

"She's safe." Vitani reassured them. "But she was worried about you and I offered to take you back to The Pride Lands for her."

The hyenas looked at each other skeptically.

"We … we need to talk about this." One of the hyenas squeaked out.

"I understand. Take your time."

The hyenas gathered in a circle, whispering amongst themselves.

"What if she's lying?"

"Well what if she's not?" The anxious hyena asked/

"Well what if she is!" The one who had first approached Vitani said.

"Well, she knew our leader was missing …."

"Or she was just eavesdropping!" The first one continued.

"Don't you think she would have attacked us by now if she was going to?" The anxious one asked again.

"Well … maybe she wants to lead us to that group of lion … lackeys …. Or whatever they're called."

"I think they were called The Lion Guard!" The smallest hyena squeaked out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He rolled his eyes. "That "lion guard" might just see us as a free meal. How do we know they didn't eat Aiube already."

"Please don't say that!" One of the female hyenas whimpered.

"Right. I'm sorry Utii." The hyena that had first approached Vitani softened his tone. "I'm sure she's fine …"

"Why don't we just give her a chance then?" She asked. "What if Aiube really is hurt? We need to be there for her, Jeuri!"

Jeuri let out a sigh of defeat. "All right, all right, fine! But at the first sign of trouble, we're gone, all right?"

"Sounds good to me!" The anxious one said.

"All right, I suppose …" Utii said.

"Great, Hofu and Utti are on board with the plan." Jeuri looked at the smallest hyena. "And what about you Kidogo?"

She shifted a bit and anxiously looked between Vitani and her cackle. Seeing her look, Vitani exchanged her look of blank contemplation to a small grin.

Kidogo looked back at the others. "O .. okay … sounds good …"

The cackle made their way over to Vitani. Hofu took a step forward. "We'll follow you."

"All right. We're going to have some others coming with us too." Vitani said as she started to lead them.

"Wait, who else?" Jeuri demanded.

"The crocodiles in the swamp nearby." Vitani said. "The Outlands have been rough for them too."

"I imagine so." Hofu said, trying to keep up pace with her. "There's no food or water nearby."

"Trust me, I know." Vitani let out a dry chuckle. "I grew up here."

"Oh." Hofu frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah .." Vitani let out a wistful sigh. "It's been awhile since I've been back here, it's kind of … scary …"

"What made you leave?" Kidogo asked curiously. Her voice sounded like that of a cub.

"It's … kind of complicated." Vitani bit her lip. "But in short, my Pride learned to put the past behind them, and united with our once enemy Pride."

She shook a bit thinking of the war.

Where's your pretty daughter, Nala?

I don't even feel like the same lion that said that … She felt the chills multiply, and looked at the hyenas, trying to forget about it. Forcing a smile she continued, "But it's all fine now. We are one."

"We are one … I like that …" Hofu smiled.

"Kinda cheesy, but I get the sentiment." Jeuri said.

"That's really sweet." Utii added.

"We are one! We are one! I love it!" Kidogo said, bounding forward. "We are one! We are one!"

Vitani laughed a bit. "I'm glad we've got some fans."

They all paused when they came into view of the other lionesses.

"This is my guard." Vitani said. "Sabaha, Kasi, Imara, and Tazma."

"I'm Hofu. I'm Aiube's mate." He said with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Jeuri." He said simply.

"I'm Kidogo!" She said, bouncing up and down.

"And I'm Utii. I'm kinda like Aiube's majordomo."

"Hey, Vitani, are we still gonna take those crocs with us?" Shabaha asked.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

Shabaha let out a snort like laugh and looked at the hyenas. "You better be careful. Those things could take down a wildebeest single handedly. Imagine what they could do to small fries like you four!"

Hofu, Kidogo, and Utii looked startled. Jeuri rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, "I'd like to see them try …"

"Shabaha!" Vitani scolded.

"What?" She asked, still laughing a bit. "It's true!"

Vitani groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're scaring them."

She stopped laughing and looked at them. Even Jeuri under his rough exterior seemed unnerved by her comment. Frowning a bit, she quickly apologized, "Oh uh, sorry about that …"

"Don't take it too personally." Vitani said. "She has a kind of morbid sense of humor, but she's working on it."

"Yeah, I sure am." Shabaha laughed more. "Like a crocodile about to strike its prey and …"

This was met with more looks from the guard and she backed down.

"Let's just head back." Vitani said.

Her guard and the four hyenas stayed close behind her as they approached the swamp.

Vitani knelt by the swamp. "Hey, I'm back!"

The crocodile popped out of the water and was face to face with Vitani, causing her to stumble back in surprise.

"Hello." The crocodile said.

"Are you and your bask ready to go?" Vitani asked.

He nodded and got out of the water, followed closely by a dozen other crocodiles.

Vitani took the lead again, and took them all to The Pride Lands.

Chapter 11

As Vitani marched into The Pride Lands, she was met with even more odd glances from the Pride Land animals. It was like a parade, her leading her guard, the crocodiles, and hyenas, marching towards Pride Rock.

The animals were mumbling amongst themselves more than they were when Vitani just brought Aiube in.

"What's she doing?"

"Is she crazy!?"

"This is our lion guard?"

"Why is she bringing more hyenas in!?"

"She's putting us all in danger!"

"Ppfft, some protector …"

"Is she a traitor?"

Vitani couldn't help but wince at their words as she made it to the base of Pride Rock. She, and the other lionesses from her Pride had worked hard to shake their image of 'vicious, backstabbing, murderous Outsiders.' Her guard more than the others due to being their protectors.

She shivered as they got closer to the base of Pride Rock. The group made their way up and entered the den of Pride Rock.

Nala was taking a nap, snuggled against Kiara. Kovu was keeping an eye over Aiube, and looked up when Vitani and the others came in.

"Did you find them?" He asked, hopefully.

"Yes ...and a few others …." Vitani said, as the hyenas and crocodiles came in.

Kovu paused, trying to process this.

Seeing his confusion, Vitani continued, "Remember the swamp by the border of The Outlands?"

Kovu laughed a bit. "How could I forget?" He let his gaze go over to Kiara, asleep, resting her head in the crook of her mother's neck, before looking back at Vitani.

The crocodile Vitani had talked to, took a step forward. "Hello, I am Njaa. Me and the others have been struggling for food for years in The Outlands. Your friend here …"

"Sister." Kovu corrected.

"... Sister, told us, that your Pride was accepting of … well … outsiders … and something about being one? We are one? Something like that … anyways we were wondering if we could join your pride …" Njaa seemed a bit anxious, trying to explain himself to the king.

Kovu smiled gently. "You're right, we are one. You're welcome into our pride."

Kiara woke up and looked groggily at them. Noticing Vitani and the others were there she quickly got up and rushed over, almost tripping on her paws in the process.

"Oh, hey!" She laughed out anxiously. "Sorry uh, about that …"

Stupid! You knew they were coming back and you fell asleep! Stupid! Stupid! You're the queen now, you need to be responsible!

Kiara forced a smile, trying to hide her insecurities. She looked at the group and noticed the crocodiles. "Oh! Hello there!"

"These are crocodiles from The Outlands." Kovu explained, noticing her confusion. "Remember that small swamp near the border?"

Kiara zoned out a bit.

My father said to never turn your back on an Outsider!

You always do what daddy says?

No!

Bet you do! Bet you're daddy's little girl! Ha ha! An Outsider doesn't need anybody, I take care of myself.

Really? Cool!

H .. hey wh .. what about me!?987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4mB1o2hIx
I'll distract them, run!

I did it … I did it! Pffft!

We make such a good team!

She smiled at Kovu. "Yeah, I remember."

"They asked to join our Pride." Kovu explained.

"Oh, of course!" Kiara said. "Everyone's welcome in our Pride!"

Nala started to wake up and went over to the group. She froze when she saw the crocodiles and more hyenas. "Oh uh … hello there …"

"This is Aiube's cackle." Vitani said. "And a group of crocodiles from The Outlands."

"It's nice to meet you." Nala said, albeit, a bit anxiously.

The hyenas went over to Aiube and Hofu laid down beside his mate, nuzzling her close.

"Hofu …" She groaned out, resting her head in his neck.

"I'm so glad you're okay …" He sniffled.

"We all are!" Utii said, practically running over.

"What happened?" Kidogo asked.

"I tried to cross the swamp and got bit by a crocodile …" She winced as she moved her lg into view for them to see.

"Crocodiles?" Jeuri looked at the group of crocs and snarled. "You did this!?"

Njaa looked startled and took a step back. "I … I'm sorry … please … we were hungry and we … we .."

"Please stop fighting!" Kiara nearly begged, stepping in between the both of them. "It's not going to help anything, just …. Try and put the past behind you …"

They both looked at her oddly.

Uh oh. Was that not the right thing to say? Ugh, I'm a terrible queen, aren't I!? How can I rule if I can't keep peace between the Pride animals!?

"She's right." Kovu said, easing Kiara out of her anxious trance. "You need to get along if you want to live here."

Jeuri sighed. "Fine … but if you even so much as look at my leader again …"

Njaa backed away more.

Kiara sighed, this time getting more desperate, her voice practically shaking. "Please don't fight."

Kovu gave her a reassuring nuzzle, calming her down.

"Jeuri won't start any fights, now will you?" Aiube asked, giving him a glance.

"No, of course not!" Jeuri said quickly. "We are one, after all."

"Right." Nala said stiffly, glancing over at the hyenas. "We are one …"

Chapter 12

The air outside of Pide Rock was brisk and cool that night, as Kiara, Kovu, Nala, and Vitani laid under the stars.

Nala sighed. "I should have told you this a long time ago, but Simba… didn't want me to talk about it." She looked to the Great Kings of The Past in the sky, "But, dear, I think it's time to tell them."

She exhaled again and looked at the three young adult lions. "Things started the day before Scar took over."

Nala started with her and Simba's elephant graveyard adventure.

Hey Nala!

Hi Simba!

Come on, I just heard about this really cool place.

Simba, I'm kind of in the middle of a bath ….

"And it's time for yours"

Mom! Mooom! You're messing up my mane! Okay, okay I'm clean! Can we go now!?

So where are we going? It better not be any place dumb!

No, it's really cool!

"So where is this 'very cool place?'"

Oh uh … around the water hole ….

The water hole!? What's so great about the water hole!?

I'll show you when we get there …

Oh, uh …. Mom, can I go with Simba?

"Hm … what do you think, Sarabi?"

"Well?"

Pleeeeeease!?

Pleeeeeease!?

"It's all right with me …"

Yeah! All right!

"As long as Zazu goes with you"

No! Not Zazu!

Zazu sat perched in his nest when Simba and Nala ran up.

"Hey, Zazu!" Simba said, shaking the tree with his front paws. "Zazu!"

Zazu stumbled out of the tree and fell in front of the two cubs.

"Good morning Simba, Nala…" He groaned

"Mom said you have to take us to the water hole!" Simba said.

Zazu got up and brushed the dirt off his feathers. "Well there's a perfectly good water hole near Pride Rock, I don't see why you need me to escort you."

"No, we wanna go to the other one!" Simba said.

"Yeah! Simba's gonna show me something really cool!" Nala said, excited.

Zazu rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it will be fascinating, whatever it is ..." He sighed. "All right, I suppose I do have time before Mufasa's midday patrol to take you to the water hole.

Zazu made sure he was presentable and fluttered above the two cubs. "Lets get going then, shall we?"

So where are we really going?

An elephant graveyard …

Wow!

Shhh Zazu …

Right … so how are we gonna ditch the dodo?

"I … actually haven't thought that through …" Simba said, sheepishly.

Nala rolled her yes. "Of course you didn't." She looked around "Listen, I've got an idea."

"What is it?"

"We'll get the other animals to distract him and we can run off!"

"How are we gonna do that?" Simba asked.

"Well, you're the future king, why don't you show them how great you're gonna be when you're in charge!"

"Great idea!" Simba said.

Zazu noticed them talking and landed in front of them.

"Oh just look at you two! Little seeds of romance blossoming in the savannah …. Your parents will be thrilled! What with your being betrothed and all."

Be what?

"Betrothed, intended, affianced …"

Meaning?

"One day you two are going to be married!"

Yuck!

Eww!

I can't marry her, she's my friend!

Yeah, it would be too weird …

Kovu, Kiara, and Vitani all laughed at this. Nala chuckled herself and looked to the sky, "My how things changed."

"Is that what why dad wouldn't let us to the water hole without an escort that wasn't Zazu?" Kiara laughed.

"Exactly." Nala giggled

Suddenly Kiara paused mid laugh.

"Wait … does that mean I was betrothed?" She asked, glancing slightly at Kovu.

"Did … did you feel forced to love dad?"

"Not at all." Nala said. "It worked out for us, but we wanted you to be with someone you truly loved … and you did …"

Kiara smiled and nuzzled into Kovu's mane.

"So did you two get away?" Vitani asked.

"Yes, and we made it to the Elephant Graveyard."

Nala let out another small chuckle. "No dear, your father got rid of the bethroyal. He didn't want you to feel like you were forced to love someone."

"Did … did you feel forced to love dad?"

"Not at all." Nala said. "It worked out for us, but we wanted you to be with someone you truly loved … and you did …"

Kiara smiled and nuzzled into Kovu's mane.

"So did you two get away?" Vitani asked.

"Yes, and we made it to the Elephant Graveyard."

Chapter 13

This is it, we made it.

Whoa!

Whoa! It's really creepy.

Yeah … isn't it great?

We could get in big trouble ...

I know!

I wonder if it's brains are still in there …

There's only one way to know. Come on, let's go check it out!

"Were the brains still in there?" Vitani asked, getting into the story.

"Unfortunately we didn't get to find out, Zazu caught up with us." Nala laughed a bit before biting down on her jaw slightly. "But that's just when the trouble started …"

Well, well, well Banzai. What have we got here?

Hmm I dunno Shenzi, what do you think Ed? Yeah just what I was thinking … a trio of trespassers!

Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?

What's the hurry? We'd love you to stick around for dinner!

Yeah! We could have whatever's "lion" around! Get it? "Lion" around!

Oh wait, wait, wait, I got one, I got one! Make mine a "cub" sandwich, what'cha think?

Hey! Why don't you pick on somebody your own size!?

Like …. You?

Oops …

Here kitty, kitty, kitty ….

From inside the den of Pride Rock, Aiube and her cackle listened closely to Nala's story.

"They sound terrible." Aiube said, mortified.

"How could anyone do something like that?" Hofu whimpered, hiding his face in Aiube's neck.

"Yeah!" Kidogo whined. "They sound really scary!"

Jeuri rolled his eyes. "Sound like a couple of fleabags to me …"

"Couldn't agree more." Utii said, resting her head on his back.

"Is that why she doesn't want us here?" Kidogo asked.

"What does it matter? She's not the queen, it's not like she can do anything about it." Jeuri said. "The king and queen seem to at least have their priorities straight."

"Yeah, that We are one thing is great!" Kidogo said.

"Yeah, if only she understood it too …" Jeuri grumbled.

"They had us cornered." Nala continued. "But when Mufasa came out of nowhere and saved us."

Silence!

Oh, we're gonna shut up right now …987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeBDugkEOf
"Calm down, we're really sorry …"

If you ever come near my son again …

"Oh this is … this is your son?"

Oh, your son?

"Did you know that!?"

No … me? I … I … I … I didn't know it. No. Did you?

"No, of course not!"

Ed?

"Ed?"

Toodles!

"At least they're smart enough to know when to back down from a fight." Jeuri grumbled.

"Yeah!" Utii giggled, relaxing more into his back. She tilted her head up slightly and started grooming his fur.

Jeuri shifted his head a bit, allowing him to see Utii easier, and gave her a lick on the cheek.

She giggled more and continued her grooming.

Dad I ….

You deliberately disobeyed me!

Dad I'm … I'm sorry ….

Let's go home.

"I thought you were very brave …."

The sun had started to set by the time they left The Elephant Graveyard, the sky a deep orange and purple.

Simba and Nala looked at each other silently as they followed behind Mufasa. Zazu glanced at them, looking anxious himself.

"Are you okay?" Simba whispered to Nala.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine ... Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah I … I think so …" Simba anxiously glanced at his father before back to Nala. "But you're the one who almost got eaten by that one hyena."

"Yeah." Nala let out a dry laugh. "I would have been hyena chow without you … thanks."

Simba frowned. "Yeah … you're welcome …"

"Hey, what's wrong?" Nala asked. "You saved my life!"

"Yeah … but wouldn't have had to if I listened to dad!" Simba whined.

Nala's frown deepened. "Simba …"

"Zazu!" Mufasa's voice boomed, drawing them all to attention.

"Yes … sire?" The hornbill asked, timidly.

"Take Nala home, I've got to teach my son a lesson."

Simba shrunk into the grass, anxiously,

Zazu fluttered back over to the cubs. "Come Nala …. Simba …" He put his wing on Simba's shoulder. "... Good luck …"

Zazu started to lead Nala back to Pride Rock. Nala looked back, giving him a wistful look, before looking back at the horizon as the sun finally set.

"Simba!" Nala cringed, hearing Mufasa's loud yell.

She sped up slightly, wanting more than anything to get home.

"Are you all right?" Zazu asked, snapping her out of her trance.

"Yeah … I'm fine ... " Nala sighed. "... I'm sorry about the birdie boiler …"

"Yes, well, it did shoot me back to The Pride Lands." Zazu said. "Which allowed me to get Mufasa and save your furry little behinds."

Nala folded her ears back in guilt, tears pricking at her eyes. "I … I'm sorry …"

Zazu landed in front of her, and wrapped his wings around her. "It's all right Nala … Just as long as you and Simba are safe, everything is all right."

Nala sniffled and nuzzled against Zazu. "You … you aren't mad?"

"Oh of course I am." Zazu said into her fur. "But I'm more relieved you're okay."

"Thanks." Nala said, putting her paw over his back to return the hug. "Hey Zazu?"

"Yes?"

"Does … does mom know what happened?"

"No." Zazu said. "But we do have to tell her."

"Oh … I was afraid of that …"

"Do you want me to help you talk to her?" Zazu asked, gently.

Nala nodded. "Yeah …"

They headed into the den of Pride Rock, where Sarabi and Sarafina were pacing nervously. When they both saw her, their eyes lit up and they ran over.

"Nala! You're all right!" Sarafina sniffled, as she and Sarabi nuzzled her. Sarafina pulled back and looked around. "Where's Simba?"

Horror took over Sarabi's face, no doubt worried about her missing son, as she pulled away.

"He's safe with Mufasa." Zazu reassured, relaxing the two lionesses.

"What happened?" Sarabi asked.

"The cubs escaped my very watchful eye and wandered into The Elephant Graveyard. I .."

"What!?" Sarafina gasped.

"Zazu!" Sarabi said, shocked. "How could you let this happen!"

"Well I uh, you … you see …" Zazu anxiously played with his feathers. "I uh … they … I …"

Nala stepped in front of Zazu protectively. "It's not Zazu's fault, please don't be mad at him. Simba and I were the ones who ran off."

Sarafina exhaled roughly and pulled her daughter closer. "Oh Nala … I'm glad you're safe …"

"Am I in trouble?" Nala whined.

Sarafina sighed again. "No, as long as you promise me you won't ever do anything like that again."

"I promise mom." Nala said, relaxing into her mother's touch and let out a small yawn.

Sarafina smiled gently. "Let's get some sleep."

"Okay mom." Nala followed Sarafina to their usual resting place in the den. She cradled into her paws and closed her eyes, falling asleep. I hope things went okay with Simba ….

The next morning Nala had all but forgotten what happened yesterday. Simba bounded over and bit Nala's ear, tugging slightly. "Nala! Nala! Get up!"

"Huh?" Nala groaned. "Simba … I'm trying to sleep …"

"Awww, come on, the sun's already all the way up in the sky! I wanna play!" Simba said, tugging her ear more.

"I'm still tired …" Nala moaned, hiding her face in her mother's chest. "We can play later, all right?"

Simba pouted but let out a groan of defeat. "All right fine, we can play later .. I'll just go see what uncle Scar is up to! See ya Nala!"

The last thing Nala heard before drifting back to sleep was Simba's paws against the den floor.

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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6DYTmEbo0

Chapter 14

"Nala … Nala sweetie, wake up …"

"Huh?" Nala groaned, opening her eyes slightly. She let out a yawn as she looked up to see the blurry image of her mother standing above her. "Mom? What's going on?"

"There's been an accident." She said in a panic, breathing. "Mufasa and Simba … they … they …"

Nala shot awake and looked at Sarafina. "What!? Mom, are … are they okay!?"

Tears filled Sarafina's eyes as she slowly shook her head. "No … no baby … they … they …."

"They what?" Nala whined anxiously.

"... They're with The Great Kings of The Past now." She sighed.

Nala shakily took a step back. "The … The Great Kings of The Past …. But they … they …"

Nala burst into tears as her mother pulled her closer. "But I …. I just saw Simba this morning … I … I promised him that we'd …. We'd …. Play later …"

"Nala ..." Sarafina stroked her back with her paw.

"I … I didn't even get to say goodbye and … and I'll never get the chance to see him again or … or … or play with him again! And … and … Mufasa …. I … I … He was so mad about yesterday … I … I .. I didn't get to say sorry to him …. I …"

"Oh, Nala." Sarafina cried, pulling her closer.

They stayed like this for a few minutes until Sarafina pulled away. "I need to go talk with the other lionesses. Will you be all right on your own for a little while, hun?"

Nala sniffled but nodded.

Sarafina gave her one more loving nuzzle before heading out of the den. Nala laid there and sobbed into her paws.

Soon she couldn't bear to stay in the den anymore. The darkness and stiff air was suffocating to her. Nala forced herself up and headed towards the den entrance.

She made her way to where she had her bath yesterday and laid on the rock Sarabi had been on. Sniffling, she snuggled on top of the rock. Simba's scent was there, but it was overpowered by Sarabi's. Despite this, Nala found comfort in the vaguest hint of his scent.

"Simba …." She sniffled.

"Nala?"

Nala looked up to see Zazu fluttering above her.

"Zazu …" Nala said, hoarsely.

He landed beside her and gently put his wing on her back. "I'm … I'm sorry …"

Nala pulled Zazu closer and cried into his chest. He snuggled her gently and stroked her back lightly.

"Shh shh. It's all right." Zazu said, nuzzling her.

"They're gone …" Nala cried. "I ...I didn't get to say goodbye or … or anything!"

Zazu kept her in his embrace, trying to comfort her the best he could.

"Do .. do you think Mufasa was mad at me?" Nala looked at Zazu with teary eyes.

He frowned deeply and gripped her shoulder. "Why would he be?"

"Because Sim ...Simba and I … w … went to the … The Elephant Graveyard and we … we … almost got k … killed … by the … the … hyenas …" She sputtered out as much as she could.

"I'm sure he forgives you." Zazu said, tightening the hug. "When I was talking to him … this morning … he told me he was more worried about your safety than anything. He was just glad you were safe."

Nala sniffled and rubbed the side of her face against Zazu's chest. "Thanks Zazu …"

The two sat there in silence for a while until Nala spoke up again, "Zazu? What's going to happen now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean …. Who's gonna be king and all that?" Nala asked.

"Oh, uh, Scar is next in line, he'll be the king of The Pride Lands." Zazu said.

"Why can't Simba's mom just stay queen?" She sniffled.

Zazu sighed. "Unfortunately, that's not how it works. One of the rulers has to be of royal blood."

"Why?"

"That's just how it's been for generations." Zazu explained. "It's tradition."

"Oh, like that bee … thingy?" She asked.

"Bethrothyal? Yes."

Nala stayed silent for a moment before giggling slightly.

"What?" Zazu asked, lightening his tone.

"Does that mean Scar's gonna betrothed?" Nala laughed.

Zazu chuckled. "No, he's old enough to choose a queen for himself."

Nala laughed a bit more. "Who would ever wanna be his queen? He's so … weird …"

"I do admit, he always has been a little … odd." Zazu added, still finding it humorous. "Although he did have a few lionesses swooning after him in his Lion Guard days."

Nala tilted her head in confusion. "Lion Guard?"

"Oh, the second born royal cub's duty is to lead The Lion Guard, the protector of The Pride Lands." Zazu explained. "Scar was Lion Guard until the power went to his head …"

Nala looked worried. "You don't think that'll happen when he's king do you?"

Zazu was silent for a moment. "I sure hope so …" He muttered under his breath.

That night all the Pride gathered at the base of Pride Rock. Scar sat on top of a small ledge of rocks, readying himself to address the lionesses. Nala hid in between Sarafina's paws, crouched low to the ground.

He sighed deeply and cleared his throat. "I have an unfortunate announcement to make today. As you all know, Mufasa and Simba have both sadly passed away today in a tragic accident."

He let out another sigh and looked at the crowd below. "It pains me deeply to have to make this speech. Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy, but to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live …"

Nala started choking up.

"Mom!" Kiara rushed over and nuzzled her. "Mom are you okay?"

She sniffled and looked Kiara in the eyes, nodding slightly. "Yeah, it's just … hard to think about … especially now that he's …." She looked to the sky again and returned Kiara's nuzzle. "I'll be okay … I just need a moment …"

Kiara laid down beside her and let her rest her head on her. Nala relaxed she snuggled close to her daughter. "Okay, I think I'm ready to continue now …"

Nala cried, nuzzling against her mother's leg.

"For me, It is a deep, personal loss." Scar continued. "So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne. But I must admit … I cannot bear this burden alone, and I will need some help … to ensure the safety of the Pride."

Silhouettes of the hyenas lit up on the side of Pride Rock, followed by their maniacal laughter.

Sarabi leaned down, "Nala, stay close."

As the hyenas emerged, Scar scaled Pride Rock and concluded his speech, "Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era … in which lion and hyena come together, in a great and glorious future!"

Nala exhaled roughly.

"Mom … do … do you think that's what's happening again?" Kiara asked, gently.

The hyenas gathered inside of Pride Rock paid attention closely for her response.

"I … I don't know .." Nala said, just barely above a whisper.

"My guard and I have determined they were harmless." Vitani vouched for them. "They probably don't even know who Scar is!"

"I know!" Nala nearly snapped. When Vitani stumbled back in fear, she softened her tone. "I'm sorry … even that first night was hell …"

Sarafina pulled Nala closer as the hyenas flooded in.

Sarabi stepped away from their side and made her way up Pride Rock, a deep growl escaping her throat.

"Scar!" Sarabi said, taking her ground in front of him. "You can't do this!"

"Can't do what?" He asked, cheekily.

"Put the Pride in danger like this!" Sarabi roared.

"Why, what ever do you mean?" Scar asked, his tone not changing.

"Letting the hyenas in!" Sarabi snarled. "You're putting us all in danger!"

"Oh, dear, sweet Sarabi, the hyenas are here for the protection of the Pride." Scar said.

"Protection? You call this protection!?" Sarabi boomed, looking at all the hyenas. "Did you forget what happened the other day!?"

Nala winced and hid even more in Sarafina's paws.

Scar stared her down slightly before continuing, "Who do you think informed me about the stampede in the first place?"

Sarabi's eyes widened before it turned into a glare. "What do you mean?"

"My top scouting hyena, Shenzi, was the one who informed me about the stampede in the gorge." Scar said.

"I did?" Shenzi asked in surprise. Realizing what he was doing, she quickly changed her tone. "Oh, yeah, yeah! I did!"

"She was too scared for her life to tell Mufasa directly, so she went to me instead." Scar sighed. "Imagine if she had been able to go to Mufasa instead of having to have me pass on the message … Oh how things could have ended much, much differently. I won't let that happen again. The hyenas are part of our Pride now. We are one."

Kovu, Kiara, and Vitani had varying degrees of perplexation based on what Scar had said in the story.

"He … didn't mean it the same way you three do." Nala said, quickly. "He was trying to make us feel safe when we really weren't … I don't think he actually believed it …"

She sighed and kept going, hoping it didn't bother the three that much.

Sarabi let out another low snarl. "What about the cubs!?"

"Oh, they're great with children!" Scar insisted, looking over at the hyenas. "Isn't that right?"

"Oh, of course we do!" Shenzi said, playing along. She made her way down from her rock perch and headed over to Sarafina. "We just looooove cubs!"

She bent down to Nala's level. "Hey, no hard feelings about the other day, right?"

Nala shook in fear as Sarafina snarled at Shenzi.

"Besides, they're raising cubs of their own." Scar said, walking over to a female hyena and her baby. He grabbed the cub between her front paws and pushed her forward so the lionesses could see. "Why would a mother injure your children?"

Sarabi examined the child closely. The hyena whimpered as she scuttled back into the safety of her mother's paws.

She looked back at Scar, still angry.

"Unless … you want to challenge me for the throne?" Scar asked, a smirk on his face as he looked at all of his hyena supporters, surrounding them both.

Sarabi huffed and took a step back. Scar grinned.

"Trust me." He said. "This partnership will work perfectly."

He turned towards the den entrance. "We should rest now, it's been a long day."

The lionesses hesitantly made their way to the den of Pride Rock, … as did the hyenas who rushed in.

Sarafina clamped Nala securely in her jaw as she headed up to Pride Rock.

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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxavZ73ewU

Chapter 15

The den of Pride Rock usually already was cramped, but now it was no doubt at full capacity, maybe even beyond that point.

Scar took his place on the rock platform reserved for the royal family. It was the most spacious (not to mention the most comfortable), place to rest. Not only that, but it tended to be the coolest on the warmest days, and warmest on the coldest nights. Truly it was fit for a king,

Scar saw Sarabi trying to traverse her way through the piles of sleeping hyenas, to find a new place to rest.

He grinned. "Oooooh, Saraaaaabi …"

She looked over, looking absolutely disgusted. "Yes Scar?", pure venom in her voice.

Scar scooter over and patted the spot next to him with his paw. "Why don't you join me?"

"No." Sarabi said sharply, turning away and heading for the entrance of the den.

Scar shrugged in a 'suit yourself' fashion and changed his cunning glance over to Sarafina. "Oooh, Sarafinaaaa .."

"Sleazeball." Sarafina gumbled, her voice muffled from holding Nala in her jaw. She also headed to the den entrance, and followed Sarabi outside. A few other lionesses soon followed suit, all deciding they'd rather sleep outside in the cold than a den full of hyenas.

Nala shivered under the cold night air, and snuggled closer to her mother., trying in vain to warm herself up. She let out a small whimper as she started to cry again. Sarafina pulled her closer and nuzzled her softly. "Shh, shh, it's all right sweetie … it's all right … I'm here …. It's okay .."

Nala pressed her head against Sarafina's chest and shivered again before managing to fall asleep.

The sun beat warmly down on Nala's back, waking her up the next morning. She yawned and stretched out on the rock, allowing the sun to warm up her still chilled body. Nala looked around and noticed her mom, Sarabi, and a couple dozen other lionesses were still asleep.

Nala wiggled out of her mother's sleepy grasp and got up to stretch her legs. Nala walked yo the edge of Pride Rock and looked down at the kingdom.

It was just like any other usual morning so far, the birds chirping, animals making their way to the water hole, and a general sense of calmness in the air.

The only difference Nala could pinpoint was cackles of hyenas starting to gather in the plains below.

She felt a knot of uneasiness form in her stomach as she tried to shake away any fear she had about the hyenas.

Jeuri groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh here we go again. Did she even say they were doing anything!?"

"I don't think she did." Aiube said, frowning.

Hofu nuzzled against her and licked her cheek.

"Did any of the other hyenas try to hurt besides those three?" Jeuri asked.

"No, not at all!" Kidogo said.

"I thought so …" Jeuri grumbled, laying his head on his paws.

"You're up early." The voice caught Nala off guard.

She turned around to see Zazu sitting beside her.

"Yeah … I … I guess I am …" Nala laughed dryly.

Zazu moved closer and the two watched over The Pride Lands together.

One group of hyenas were making their way up to a group of grazing gazelles.

Nala looked away before she could see them do anything.

"So … they were just … hunting?" Jeuri asked. "Oh the horror!" He added sarcastically.

"How are you holding up?" Zazu asked gently, putting his wing on hr shoulder.

"Not …. Good …" Nala sighed. "I just feel… empty …"

"Grief can do that." Zazu said, perching on her shoulder.

"Grief?" Nala asked, turning towards Zazu.

"Yes. It's a big feeling of sadness after something tragic happens." Zazu explained.

"Like, losing your best friend?" Nala asked, just barely above a whisper.

Zazu frowned and used his wing to wipe away the fresh tears forming in her eyes. "Oh Nala … I'm so very very sorry …"

Nala sat there crying again, while Zazu tried to comfort her the best he could.

"Nala?"

Nala looked up to see a worried lioness looming above her.

"Mom?" Nala sniffled.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Sarafina asked, pulling Nala closer.

"N … no ...I… I'm not ….wh ...what … what did you you c ...call this, Z .. Zazu? Geef?"

"Grief." He corrected as he stroked, comforting circles on the back of her head.. "This is a very traumatic experience for you, I'm sure …"

Nala sniffled and nodded slightly.

"Is there anything that would cheer you up, sweetheart?" Sarafina asked, softly.

"I … I don't know …" Nala paused and thought for a moment. "A … a walk maybe?"

"Hmm …" Sarafina looked out towards the plains where even more hyenas were beginning to congregate.

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, sweetie." Sarafina frowned. "The rest of the Pride and I are busy today and I wouldn't be able to take you. I'd rather you didn't go off on your own anymore."

"Oh." Nala pouted and folded her ears back.

"I could go with her." Zazu suggested.

Sarafina looked unsure, biting down on her jaw slightly. "I don't know … I'm still worried you two might get hurt …"

"I can assure you madam, it would be a nice, short, brisk rock, close to the base of Pride Rock." Zazu said. "It would be good for not only Nala, but me as well to clear our head for a bit."

Sarafina sighed. "All right, but stay near Pride Rock, okay?"

"Boy, does that sound familiar." Kiara joked.

Nala nuzzled her. "I might have overindulged your father's overprotectiveness. I shouldn't have let him shelter you so much. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Mom." Kiara said, returning the nuzzle. "Daddy was scared and I understand why …"

"Yeah mom, we will!" Nala said, already bounding down the the base of Pride Rock by herself.

"Hey! Wait for me, little missy!" Zazu said, hurrying after her,

Nala stood in a patch of grass as she waited for Zazu to catch up with her, He landed in front of her, breathing heavily and his wing on his chest. "... Slow … down … Nala ...I .. can't …. keep … up … with … you …" He panted out.

Nala laughed and looked him in the eyes, "Well Mr Banana Bak …" She started running off again and called over her shoulder, "You better learn!"

She let out a joyous giggle as Zazu hurried after her.

She pranced along the base of Pride Rock, and stopped behind a huge pillar of rock. Zazu stopped in front of them and looked around. "Nala? Nala, where are you?"

"Boo!" Nala jumped out from behind the rock pillar, causing Zazu to stumble back and let out a squeak of fear.

"I got you!" She laughed.

"I suppose you did." Zazu said, as he tried to straighten his feathers out from his fright. "But, can we just take a normal walk now please?"

Nala rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh you're no fun Zazu … fine … we just take a normal, boring ol' walk …"

"Boring old walk? Excuse me, but weren't you the one who suggested a walk in the first place?"

"Well yeah …" Nala shrugged. "But walks are boring if all you do is walk. You have to make it .. fun!" With that, she pounced as Zazu, who flapped quickly out of the way.

"Well I can't say I find this too fun …" Zazu grumbled."Are you ready to head back to Pride Rock? I do have business, I need to attend with the lionesses soon anyways."

"But then I have to stay at Pride Rock." Nala pouted.

"We could go on another walk later." Zazu said, in an attempt to cheer her up.

Nala smiled a bit. "Thanks Zazu …"

The two of them started heading back to the top of Pride Rock.

"... You really helped me feel a lot better .." Nala said.

"And so did you." Zazu smiled.

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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHS9MAWZOr

Chapter 16

Nala laid on her back, trying to absorb the warmth of the sun from atop Pride Rock. Her mom had told her before not to stare at the sun, but what else was there to do? Nala was completely and utterly bored.

She sighed as she rolled onto her side and looked at the lionesses gathered in a group, no doubt talking about the future of the Pride under Scar's ruling. Zazu sat perched on Sarabi's shoulder, often interjecting when he could.

Nala sighed and looked around something - Anything! - to do. That's when she spotted the hyena cub from Scar's speech the previous night.

"What is she going to be scared of a cub now too?" Jeuri groaned. To try to ease his anger he nuzzled closer to Utii,trying to let the softness of her fur relax him … it worked.

The hyena cub noticed Nala and made her way over. Nala gulped as she took a step back.. However she didn't have a ton of room to back up on.

"Hello! The cub greeted, joyfully. "I'm Tumaini!

"Oh uh ...h … hi … I'm … uh .. Nala …"

"Well, hey there Nala! Wanna play!?" She crouched down, wagging her tail, excitedly.

Nala looked at her with hesitation. "Uh .. sure .."

"Talk about rude." Jeuri spat. "She just wanted to play."

"And she's a cub for crying out loud!" Kidogo added.

"What's she gonna do? Nibble her to death?" Utii laughed. "Yeah, heck, she'd probably be smaller than that lioness!"

"I'm probably smaller than she was as a cub." Kidogo giggled.

Aiube and Hofu stayed silent.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Utii frowned.

Aiube looked up, a blank look on her face. "Tumaini was my mother's name …"

This made Kovu and Kiara both remember the day they had met. It had been somewhat similar … except both sides were kind of hostile towards each other at first.

"Who are you Pride Lander!?"

"My father said to never turn your back on an Outsider!"

However under her rough exterior during their meeting, on the inside Kiara was terrified. The words of were father and Zazu were still ringing through her head.

"And stay away from the Outlands"

"Nothing there but a bunch of backstabbing, murderous, Outsiders."

"Zazu's right, you can't turn your back on them …"

"Really how come?"

"Nevermind … just run along now …"

"But dad I …"

"You'll understand someday, go on …"

"Daaaad …"

"And stay on the path I've marked for you!"

(Luckily for Kiara, that meant his paw prints, not the marking techniques lions tended to do …)

However instead the vagueness of her father and Zazu's words just piqued her interest even further. She'd only been vaguely aware of The Outlands before then, not really paying them much mind in general.

She now knew she probably shouldn't have gone there, but she was glad she did. Not only did she learn the important lesson We are one, but she'd met Kovu.

She couldn't even fathom what life would be like without him.

Kovu felt similar.

Whenever he wanted to go off and play, Zira always sent Nuka to watch over him,

"But why!?" Nuka whined out.

"Kovu is Scar's heir!" Zira snapped. "We need to ensure his safety!"

"But why do I have to babysit!" Nuka protested.

"You're his brother!" Zira said. "You need to look out for him!"

"Scar didn't look after his brother …" Nuka said, under his breath.

Zira swung her head around and snarled deeply. Nuka let out an anxious laugh before backing off submissively.

"You'll look after him and make sure he's safe, got it?" Zira said.

"Of course mother! Y … yeah sure! No … no problem!"

Kovu didn't like when Nuka babysat him. He was always annoyed, rolling his eyes, and complaining above having to keep an eye on Kovu. This day was no exception.

Nuka yawned as he laid down. "I need a nap ya little termite, don't run off, okay?"

"Okay Nuka."

Nuka laid his head on his paws and closed his eyes.

At first Kovu had listened to his brother and stayed around the same general area. However there was only so much he could do. There were only a few rocks to climb, and a couple branches to chew.

He sighed as he sat on top of one of the rocks and looked around. He heard a scuttling noise and looked around. He saw a small green lizard scurry by.

Kovu let out a low growl and pounced at the lizard. They managed to run off before Kovu could get them.

"Hey get back here!" Kovu laughed, following after them. He hadn't noticed he'd gone too far away from Nuka, he was too focused on catching the lizard.

Kovu leapt forward again, startling the lizard again, and making them run off in the other direction.

"Hey where are you!?" Kovu called. He looked around and noticed he was no longer with Nuka. Where am I?

And as he pondered this, Kiara literally bumped into him, causing a ripple effect. They'd become friends, Zira had decided to use that to her advantage in retaking The Pride Lands, the plan falling through due to Kovu realizing how much he loved Kiara, and uniting the Prides.

But they both had a feeling this wouldn't have as happy as an ending as their friendship did.

TO BE UPDATED

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The Lion King 4 Dawn of A New Era

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