The two prides, Pridelanders and Outlanders, moved back to their sides as their leaders, King Simba and Zira circled each other. Just as they were about to attack, two roars split the night, and Kovu and Princess Kiara jumped in-between their parents.
"Kiara?" Sima said in disbelief.
He was answered only with a glare from his daughter.
"Kovu! Move," Zira said.
She, too, was only answered with a glare.
"Stand aside."
"Daddy, this has to stop," Kiara said.
The King wasn't sure what to say at first. Zira beat him to speaking.
"You're even weaker than I thought! Get out of the way!" she commanded her son.
Kovu held his high, showing he would no longer bow to his mother's will.
"You'll never hurt Kiara or Simba! Not while I'm here."
Zira, Vitani, Kovu's sister, and the other Outlanders were stunned.
"Stay out of this," Simba said to Kiara.
"A wise King once told me 'we are one'. I didn't understand him then. Now I do."
He felt a bit of pride swell up in him.
"But, they-"
"Them? Us? Look at them. They are us. What differences do you see? Aren't we all apart of the Circle of Life? Aren't we all a part of each other?"
He was surprised when Kovu then spoke.
"Simba, you told me before the ambush that 'sometimes what's left behind can grow better than the generation before, if given the chance'. I may have been chosen as Scar's heir, but I'm not Scar, nor will I ever be. After the ambush, I returned to Pride Rock, even though I knew there was a chance of possibly even being killed, but I came back anyway. Why do you think I came back, despite the risks?"
Simba paused.
"I..." he trailed off, unsure.
"I came back because I had found love, friendship, and hope. I had love in Kiara, friendship in Timon and Pumbaa, and hope of a better life among your pride."
Everyone was silent, listening to Kovu's words.
"Kiaraand I could have easily run off together tonight, in fact, I wanted to at first, but I changed my mind. She told me that if we left our prides would be divided forever, and I knew she was right. Though we could have run off and started our own pride, we came back. I came back despite knowingthat the punishment for breaking exile is death. I came back to help reunite our pride, to reunite our family."
Nala quietly came up beside her mate, smiling slightly at Kovu's words.
"I was just a baby when we were banished to the Outlands, but I heard from some of the older lionesses that under Scar and the hyenas, the Pridelands turned into a wasteland like the Outlands and Elephant Graveyard. Look at it now."
Both prides did so.
"It's lush, green, and plentiful. It's healed and blossomed under the rule of the true King."
Even Zira had to admit that, near the end, life under Scar and the hyenas hadn't been very pleasant.
"I was told the true story of Scar, how he tried three times to murder his nephew as a cub, succeeded in murdering his own brother, blamed it on his nephew, allowed the hyenas to turn the Pridelands into a wasteland, tried again to kill his nephew, and in the end, because of his hate, was destroyed by his own followers, the hyenas. Now, not all of us were there, but those of us who were, do you remember it? Do you remember the ruin, the hunger, thirst, and exhaustion? Do you remember the pain?"
The lionesses that had been there did remember. They remember the thirst as the water dried up and rain wouldn't fall, the hunger as the hyenas would devour nearly every kill, save for the ones Scar would occasionally forbid them to touch so the pride could eat, the exhaustion they grew weaker but still had to hunt more and more often as prey became smaller and more scarce, and the pain of punishment from the hyenas if they did anything wrong. Some still bore scars of these 'punishments'.
"Thinking back on that, how many of you would still support Scar as King?"
Lionesses of both prides looked at each other then back at Kovu. No one said anything, but their answers were known without words. They wouldn't support Scar.
"Simba is an understanding and just King. He knows that everyone matters, everyone has a place. No one is treated unfairly, unjustly, or ignored. He and his lionesses are more than just a pride, they're a family. They all know who everyone else is, care for everyone else, and work together as a family. Even though he and Nala are the King and Queen, the lionesses address them as though they were just normal pride members. They are respected a little more and obeyed when they give a command, but other than that, they are treated like everyone else in the pride. No one is treated below or above anyone else. Tell me, how can someone who mostly tries to live equal with the rest of the pride so no one feels they're not as good as someone else be a cold-blooded killer?"
Again there was no verbal answer, but it wasn't needed. The Outlanders, the ones who had lived at some point in Scar's rules, and the ones who hadn't, all knew Kovu was right. Even Zira made herself above the rest of them.
The Pridelanders were staring at Kovu in a bit of disbelief, Timon and Pumbaa stared with wide eyes and slacked jaws, Kiara was lookingover her shoulder at her beloved and smiling, Nala was smiling as well, and Simba was staring at him in shock.
The young, brown lion's wisdom was beyond his years.
"Now I ask you, what will you choose? Will you stay with Mother and choose war, violence, and bloodshed? Or will you join Simba and choose peace?"
Zira had heard enough.
"Vitani, now!"
"No, Mother."
She looked at her brother and the Princess.
"Kovu and Kiara are right."
She went to Kovu's side.
"Enough."
"If you will not fight, then you will die as well."
The Outlanders walked to the Pridelanders and joined them.
"Where are you going? Get back here!"
"Let it go, Zira. It's time to put the past behind us," Simba said.
Zira glared at him.
"I'll never let it go!"
Kovu moved closer to Simba as Kiara went to her mother's side.
"You've lost, Mother. Go back to the Outlands if you will not join us."
Zira prepare to lunge in one last desperate attempt to kill Simba.
"This is for you, Scar!"
She lunged but was intercepted by Kovu. Mother and son sprang away from each other and circled each other, growling, claws extended.
Kovu was younger, stronger, and heavier, but Zira was lighter, faster, more agile, and fresh. She hadn't gotten into the battle until she went to attack Simba, but Kovu was still a little tired from running back.
They clashed and tore at each other, quickly drawing blood.
The others could only watch in shock and horror as the battle continued, blood staining their claws, teeth, pelts and the ground.
Both were soon injured and bleeding badly. Finally, in one last attack, Zira jumped on Kovu's back, seeking to pin him. He stumbled, quickly regained his balance, and threw himself over, slamming Zira into the ground, his body crashing down on top of her. A bone broke, and Zira, despite herself, cried out in pain.
Kovu got up and stood over her, panting.
"It's over, Mother. Go now."
Zira, knowing it was useless to fight anymore, struggled to her feet and limped back towards the Outlands, her left foreleg that Kovu had bitten earlier now broken.
Kovu then collapsed from his wounds.
The first thing he was aware of when he started to come around was the pain all over his body. He moaned.
"Kovu?"
He knew that voice but couldn't place it.
"Kovu? Kovu, are you awake?" the voice said again.
He moaned again and finally succeeded in opening his eyes. His vision was blurry but slowly cleared to reveal the kind and concerned face of Nala.
"Nala?" he croaked, his throat and mouth dry, making his voice hoarse and raspy.
"Good to have you back among the living, Kovu."
She pushed a large shell in front of him.
"Here. It's water."
He lifted his head, wincing slightly, and drank deeply.
"Better?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
She smiled.
"You're welcome. Everyone's been pretty worried about you."
"How long was I out?"
She stood from her sitting position.
"Two days."
His eyes widened.
"Two days?"
"Yes. I'll get Kiara and Vitani."
The Queen padded out of the cave.
Kiara and Vitanicame running in. They carefully and gently nuzzled him. They stayed and talked with him for about twohours, filling him in on what had happened after he had passed out. Then Nala called them out as Simba came in dragged a zebra leg. He lay in front of Kovu.
"I thought you might be hungry."
"Starving. Thanks."
Simba smiled.
"You're welcome."
He began to eat. Once he had finished, He and Simba talked for about an hour. They discussed what had happened over the past couple days. Kovu told Simba what happened after he had escaped the ambush. They talked about a possible marriaged between Kovu and Kiara if she accepted his proposal. Simba, confident she'd accepted, told Kovu about the joining ceremonies.
That night, as Kovu fell asleep, he was at peace, he was at home.