A/N: This of course takes place toward the end of Lion King 2, enjoy!

x.x.x

They fell.

Kiara could feel the wind whipping around her as she and Zira plummeted down toward the churning waves below. The moment she beheld the stone wall, she thrust her claws out and felt gravity drag her in a very strong and secure hold. It was as though she had been caught and was gently desposited on a cliff hang.

"Ahh!" Came the aged cry of a defeated lioness.

The younger of the two wasted no time moving to the high edge and extending out a paw to her less forunate other. Somehow, she felt herself in a very calm state of mind but when Zira locked eyes with her it shot fright of fear into her.

For the eyes she now looked into were not of Zira's, but of a male lions. He was bigger than her father but around the same age. There was something different about the expression he held, like a deep, chilling realization that came too late.

Kiara instinctively reached for him, she didn't think about who he was or how he had gotten in place of Zira. But the lion only looked at. Or, Kiara was quick to realize with the stream of heart-deadening moments, right through her.

"Scar,brother!"He called up in a brash, highly robust voice.

"Zira, come on." Kiara spoke softly, accepting the hallucinations.

"Help me!"The husky male voice barked,pleaded.

"I'll help you..." The young adult lioness offered, wholeheartedly.

She blinked in confusion but remained unfaltered as two claws struck out from where she was, and ground into the failing male lion' paws. Kiara felt someone near her ear as she continued to reach down for Zira; a lioness whom she knew had had the full intent to lethally dethrone her father by brainwashing her own son Kovu thoroughly.

"Long live the king..." The voice echoed with cold-hearted finalty.

"Never..."Kiara felt Zira's paw nearly smack hers out of it's socket.

The image of the male lion disappeared and Kiara watched as the irrational and bony lioness fell with her arms out-stretched. She felt a streak of terror as images of Zira seemed to interchange back and forth between her and the big male lion.

Somehow fully accepting with the near finish of her enlightening, Kiara stepped back as a thin black lion slinked passed her. His faded spirit eclisped her whole body as he passed Kiara. Thank goodness I fell in love with the good-looking lion.

The moment was so normal to her, but a heaviness settled when she turned to see clouds of thick dust. Kiara watched as they reverted back to the rush of the river bend snaking through the gorge, and with it a complete return to her reality.

She watched as Zira's claw became engulfed in the swell and recalled the words that had came out of her muzzle. We are one. The murderer and victim's roles had met a swift reversal, and Kiara felt the full impact of her words; and trusted them.

Believed in them.

"Kiara."

The lioness looked up to see into the red-brown eyes of unconditional love, and a full-fledged ache clutched at her heart when he held his paw out to her. Tears of understanding for all her father had done warmed her vision as cold sorrow gave her heart knots. Simba's large paw gripped hers in a strong, steady reassurance.

"Daddy," she had trouble seeing him, saying weakly. "I tried."

"I know you did." He pulled her up onto the ledge, and waited until the tears had finished their trickle down her cheeks so that they could see each other better as the others waited over head."and even if you hadn't, I would still love you Kiara."

She laid her ears back against her head.

"Nothing you do could ever make me feel any less about that."

A heartfelt smile flitted her creamy muzzle.

Kiara tried looking back over her shoulder as they started up when she felt a tap on her chin,and turned to meet his eyes as he explained. "It's in the past, Kiara."

They started the long climb up together.