Prologue

Memories

"NOOO!"

Simba the Lion King woke with a start, sweat pouring down his red mane and his heart thumping rapidly. He looked wildly around, his eyes wide with terror and agony as he came to grips with where he was.

Beside him, Nala lifted her elegant head. "Simba?" she asked, concern overtaking the sleepiness in her voice. "Are you okay?"

All around them, the other lionesses were looking at their king and queen, sleepy-eyed and mumbling in confusion. A few feet to Simba's left, his daughter Kiara and her mate Kovu were gazing questioningly at him. "Daddy?" Kiara said.

Simba's legs shook violently as he rose to his feet and staggered out of the cave and onto the ledge of Pride Rock. The sun was just starting to peek above the horizon, throwing long shadows across the Pride Lands.

Everything the light touches is our kingdom.

Simba closed his eyes, and a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "Kopa…" he moaned. "Oh, Kopa…"

"Simba?"

He opened his eyes and looked behind him. Nala had emerged from the den and was walking toward him. She saw the tear trail running down his face, and her confusion and concern turned to alarm. "Simba, what's wrong?" She walked up to him and rubbed his shoulder with her head. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing, I…I just had a bad dream, that's all." Simba continued to look over the kingdom, refusing to meet his mate's eyes.

"About what?" Nala prodded gently. "It's all right, Simba. You can talk to me."

Simba sighed, knowing she wasn't going to like what he was going to say and that she wouldn't let him off the hook until he did. Without looking at her, he replied, "It was about Kopa."

Nala's breath froze in her throat. Simba glanced at her, anguish filling his eyes.

"Oh…Simba!"

Nala's face broke and she pressed herself close to her mate, seeking comfort from his warmth. She began to cry, her tears spilling freely and dribbling down his mane. Simba hugged her against him with his head, his own tears flowing as well.

"Daddy?"

Simba and Nala looked up. Their daughter Kiara was standing at the mouth of the den, Kovu by her side. Both of them looked concerned.

"Father?" Kovu asked. "Is everything okay?"

Simba gazed at his son-in-law, and he felt his heart lift slightly. It was so hard to believe that, only yesterday, he'd thought of him as an enemy. "Yes, Kovu," he said quietly. "I'm all right."

Kiara approached her father and rubbed her head against his affectionately. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

Simba glanced at Nala, who was trying to pull herself together. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still threatening tears. He returned his gaze to his daughter and said, "I had a nightmare about…about Kopa."

Kiara blinked. "Kopa?"

Nala took a deep, steadying breath and said, "Kopa was your brother."

There was a long silence. Kiara's eyes filled with confusion and surprise. Kovu was looking from Simba to Nala to Kiara and back again.

Finally, Kiara said, "I…I have a brother?"

"Had," Simba corrected quietly. "He…he died before you were born."

Another long pause. Then Kiara asked, "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She didn't sound accusatory, just calmly curious.

"Because…it hurt to talk about him," Simba explained. "So we agreed to not mention him around you. We didn't want you to live with the same pain we have for years."

"But now that you know," Nala murmured, "we can't keep the secret anymore. We have to tell them, Simba."

Simba looked over at Nala, sighed, and nodded.

"Have you ever wondered why I was so protective of you?" he asked Kiara. "Did you ever question why I always sent Timon and Pumbaa to watch over you when you were playing?"

Kiara shrugged her shoulders. "I thought you were just being a good father watching out for his daughter."

Simba smiled, but there was no mirth in his eyes. "That was part of it. But I had other reasons, too." He turned to Kovu. "Did Zira ever tell you why I exiled your family?"

Kovu was obviously surprised at the question. Simba hadn't mentioned his mother since he and the other Outlanders had joined his pride. He replied, "She just said that you were angry because she had remained loyal to Scar after his death."

Simba nodded. "That was the excuse I gave her. I had no proof of what I think really happened…"

He broke off, turning his gaze upon the Pride Lands. The sun's golden glow was beginning to creep across the plains toward Pride Rock. A new day had dawned.

"It was my fault," Simba said suddenly, his voice strangled with emotion. "I wish I could go back and change it. I've tried putting it behind me, but I can't. Because no matter how much I try to tell myself it's not true, it's all my fault that Kopa was killed…"