Chapter I

"Keep up, ya Brown termite!" Nuka said to the brown cub behind him in an irritated voice. It was bad enough that his mother's bastard child was chosen over him as heir to Scar's throne, and favored while he was ignored, but now Zira expected him to watch kovu while she was trying to find food. Nuka had decided that he deserved some real food as a reward for watching kovu, not mice, lizards, birds, or insects. So he headed toward the Pridelands, and told kovu to hang back and watch the master.

" You told me to hang back while you show me how great of a hunter you are Nuka." Kovu pointed out. He was three yards behind Nuka. He'd never had a good relationship with his brother, the adolescent being jealous that his younger and healthier step-brother was chosen as King and showered with praise, while he was swept to the side.

" If you don't want me here I can go off on my own."

"Mother would have my hide if you did that, and you know it"

Nuka turned away from his rival for his mother's affection, and back toward the river that led to the Pridelands. As soon as he did, a light orange cub with brown eyes and rolled into him with an "Ooof!".

Kiara had disobeyed her father, Simba's, orders to stay away from the out lands. She wanted adventure and excitement, and was tired of her father lording over her. She understood his overprotective nature, he having lost his father to his wicked uncle Scar, and nearly having been killed himself. But he had to understand that he couldn't keep her safe every moment of the day, and trying to do so would restrict her horizon severely. He also had to realize that he wasn't and would never be Mufasa. What was on her mind right now, though, was the scrawny teenaged lion in front of her.

"Well, well, well," Nuka spoke up, with a sadistic smile that matched his tone of voice. " What do we have here. A little, lost, well fed pride lander, wandering in our out lands." He attempted to circle the cub, only for her to keep turning to face him, not letting him get behind her, or herself to lose sight of him. 'Smart kid,' Nuka thought to himself. All of sudden Nuka felt that familiar itch in his back.

"Dog gone it," he complained, scratching his back against a dead acacia tree.

"What's wrong?" Kiara asked, in a genuinely concerned voice.

"Termites! I thought I'd gotten rid of them of them all, but it looks like a few more hitched a ride!"

"I could get rid of them for you."

Nuka was suprised that this bright-eyed cub, who was fully aware of him being an outsider, was still willing to help him. She was showing him kindness, which he would have never done to her.

" T-Thanks kid, but no thanks," Nuka answered. He finished scratching his back and started to walk off, only to feel an itch in his hind legs and hind quarters."

"Oooooh, these termites!" He said in an insane tone of voice, and started furiously gnawing at his back legs and butt. Then, out of desperation he started dragging his butt across the ground. Kiara burst out laughing, while Kovu, who remained hidden, snickered to himself.

"You wouldn't be laughing if your fur was filled with termites!"

"I like you, you're funny."

Nuka's expression went from angry to incredulous once again. He would never admit it, but he liked this cute, darling little cub too. Her happiness, and good-hearted nature were absolutely contagious.

Turning toward the river, the biological son of Scar got an idea.

"Hey kid, watch this!" he exclaimed. He calmly walked toward the river, and stopped at the lower part of it beneath the bridge. He looked at the crocodile resting in the water, splashed water on it with his paw, and said," I'm right here, scale head!" The infuriated reptile roared and opened his jaws wide. Nuka jumped over the croc's head and onto it's tail. When it tried to attack him again, it bit it's own tail. As it screamed in pain, Nuka started to mockingly laugh, only for the second croc that he was standing on to do a death roll and throw him off. When he fell into the water, the scrawny adolescent noticed a croc heading toward him from behind. Turning back to face the lizard that threw him off, he saw it was coming for him as well, jaws opening wide, revealing monstrous teeth. He leapt up in the air, causing both amphibious beasts to bite each other.

"Yee haw !" the mad lion cub exclaimed. He landed on yet another crocodile; actually it was a pile of crocodiles, about eight of of them. They rose from the water, pushing nuka up, who jumped off, and swam through the water. Before he could reach the other side, a crocodile tried to clamp it's jaws on him from behind. Nuka jumped on top of it, then another came. He jumped on it as well, and repeated the action as the rest of the braying beasts attacked him. Soon, all the crocs were piled on top of each other again. Nuka leapt from the pile to the other shore of the river, having the high ground meant it required less effort and distance.

Turning to face Kiara he said, "Tada!"

"That was incredible, your amazing."

"Yes, yes I am."

Kiara ran across the bridge to the other side, while Kovu, still hidden, shook his head and muttered "Show off."

"You think that was amazing, watch Nuka hunt some prey. That's my name by the way."

"My name is Kiara," simba's cub responded happily. From the tall grass, Zira, who none of the four present, including Kovu, had noticed, growled angrily. Nuka was supposed to be watching Kovu, not making good with the enemy, especially Simba's daughter!

The outsider runt, and the pride lander princess heard rustling in the bushed ahead of them. Nuke smiled wickedly and said, "Lunch time. Watch the master work cutie." Kiara remained silent and watched intently. Taking a few steps forward, Nuka crouched low and prepared to attack.

" Okay," the teenage whispered to himself. " On the count of three, one, two, thr-," Before he could finish a massive, golden-furred, red-maned, lion leapt in front of him with a roar. Nuka recoiled in fright, while Kiara gasped in shock. From the tall grass, Zira sprang forth and roared as well. Kiara scurried toward her father in shock and fear.

"Zira," Simba said angrily.

"Simba," Scar's mate replied sadistically.

She crouched, ready to attack and avenge her beloved. Unfortunately for her, Simba wasn't alone. The rest of his pride emerged from the grass. Her gaze focused one lioness in particular; Simba's mate Nala

The two lionesses acknowledged each other by name. Then Timon spoke up.

"Timon, Pumbaa. Great now that we all know each other, GET OUT OF OUR PRIDELANDS."

"You're Pridelands?" Zira asked in an outraged voice. She roared at Timon, who yelped and hid beneath Pumbaa's mane.

"These lands belong to Scar," she insisted, angrily.

"I banished you from the pridelands!" Simba shot back. "Now you and you're teenage son, Get. Out."

"It's too bad only my runt of child Nuka came here, you'd be much better off seeing my younger son Kovu. He was hand-chosen by Scar to become king." Looking around, she said, "He's probably hiding around here somewhere. Though there's no need for him to; I mean, it's not like you'd hurt a cub." She said mockingly, causing Simba's glare to deepen. "Of course, Nuka here isn't a cub, and knows the punishment for returning to the Pridelands, so if you need your pound of flesh..." She trailed off. Looking at Nuka she stepped away from her eldest son. The other lionesses gasped, and Simba looked at Zira in absolute disgust. It shouldn't have suprised him that she used her own son, to taunt him, she was like Scar after all. For some reason, though, it did.

"Take him and leave immediately," Simba firmly, yet calmly, demanded.

"Come on you rascal, back to those horrible Outlands, with hardly any food, and very little water," she said in a fake begging tone. "Don't blame me Zira, you could have gone to another place, far away from the Pridelands, with enough sustenance for your sisters and cubs. Or you could have abandoned your loyalty to that killer, Scar." Mufasa's son said in an unsympathetic tone.

Zira growled at her hated nephew-by-marriage. She hated it when anyone talked bad about Scar, especially his killer. However she decided not to respond.

"Let's go Nuka," she said harshly to Scar's oldest and despised child. Walking away from him, she heard him get up and reluctantly follow. Nuka looked back and saw Simba pick up his daughter by the scruff, and carry her away.

"See you later, gator," he softly told the lioness cub.

"See you later," she sadly replied.

"Mother," Kovu said, emerging from behind a dead bush as his mother and jealous big brother.

"I'm guessing you were hiding, watching Nuka play with Simba's daughter," she paused to glare at her jealous older boy."which we will discuss when we get home."

"I couldn't help it mother!" the dusty, scraggly, thin lion said."She was so adorable!"

"And what was your plan, hmmm? Get close to Kiara, and then Simba welcomes you with open arms? What an idea."

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Zira's head."What, an idea!" She smiled, genuinely at Nuka.

"I've underestimated you my child," she admitted, nuzzling her eldest cub. Nuka, utterly flabbergasted by his mother's praise, shakily asked, "You have ?"

"Come on you two, let's go home. We have to prepare, and tell everyone of your plan" she finished, smiling once again at Nuka.