The Dream, The Ceremony, The Anger

Simba was the first to wake the next morning. He found the den empty. Strange, I usually have to step around everyone, I wonder where they could be. He walked out towards the egde of Pride Rock and realized that it was past noon, the sun high in the sky. He continued to walk towards the edge and saw all the lionesses gathered in a circle around something in a field to the left.

He made his way to the crowd who just kept their heads down. Simba made his way through the sorrow-stricken lionesses and towards the center of the circle. What he saw was a sight so greusome, it would make the strongest of lions quiver.

The grass was stained with blood. there were arms and legs strewn about, seperated from their paws. A tail laying a few feet from the upper torso of the carcass. The upper torso a few feet to the left of that. Lastly, he noticed a head that seemed to be staring straight at him in perfect condition, minus the fact it was separated from the rest of the body. Atop the head sat a tuft of brown fur.

KOPA! The king shouted, running towards the head, which had suddenly began to talk, halting him immediately

Why? Why didn't you protect me? Why daddy? Why? All of the lionesses began to chant that word over and over. Why? Why? Why?

A lioness stood out in front of him, one he recognized all too well. Nala! He gasped.

Simba, this is all your fault! Those words broke his heart into a million pieces. It's your falut! It's your fault! She repeated, stepping closer and closer to him. Then she lunged.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Simba awoke with a roar louder than any lion has ever produced before, causing every sleeping body to wake up and jump to their feet. It was all a dream he thought to himself. "I-I-I'm sorry everyone" he said, very embarrassed. Kopa and Vitani managed to make their way to the king.

"Dad, are you ok?" Kopa asked, his eyes expressing great concern.

The king did not hesitate to scoop him up and embrace him, a tear running down his face.

"I am, now that i know you are OK" he said weakly, releasing his son. He looked outside and saw the moon was still out."Just try to go back to sleep."

The young prince and his new girlfriend (unknown to everyone else) made their way back to their sleeping place.

Simba decided to step out onto the edge of Pride Rock.

"Father, I had the worst dream. Are you trying to tell me something? Or is it just an act of my imagination?" He shouted to an unresponsive sky.

"Simba, are you OK?" The king turned to see a pale tan figure making its way to him. Nala he thought to himself, a feeling of relief rolling over him.

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine, it was nothing" he lied.

"Simba, that was the loudest roar I've ever heard from you. You don't even roar that loud at intruders...Now I'll ask you again, are you OK?" his mate said, deep concern overwhelming her voice.

"Nala, that dream...it was the worst thing I've experienced in my life. Worse than the dreams I had about my father back in the jungle..." he said. It was always hard for Simba to share his emotions, but the way this had flown out of him like a river greatly startled Nala.

"Well, would you like to talk about it?" she asked, expecting a quick 'No', but his answer made her realize this dream was worse than she thought.

"Only if you think you can handle it" he replied, a single tear moving down his face.

"I'm here for you" she said, nuzzling him for reassurance.

"OK then, here it goes. I woke up, alone in the den. I began walking outside and realized it was about two hours after noon. When i reached the tip of Pride Rock, I saw all the lionesses gathered in a circle over there" he pointed out to the spot in the field where he saw the in his dream, going on to the gruesome sight he witnessed. "Everyone was saying it was my fault, then you...Stepped out, blaming me as well...You went to attack me, then i woke up" he finished on the verge of tears.

"Wow..." she replied. "That's...something else..." she replied, nearing tears herself.

"But it's OK though, I'm still here" said a little voice, cracking slightly out of sadness. The king and queen turned to see their sun approaching, followed by Vitani, tears welling in both of their eyes.

"How much did you hear, little ones?" Nala asked, in shock.

"The whole thing" he said, making the older lions' hearts drop into their stomachs.

"But it was just a dream, daddy. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. Right?"

"My son, I couldn't hurt you ever."

The young cub ran to his father and grabbed his forearm in a tight embrace, allowing the tears to flow freely. That was the extra gallon that broke the flood gates. Him crying made Vitani cry. The sight of the cubs crying made Simba cry. The sight of the king of the pride crying made Nala cry. Everyone was embraced in a sobbing mass of sadness, allowing emotions to flow just as easily as tears. After a few minutes, the crying ceased and the sun began to rise.

"Kopa, I'd like you to come with me. I have something I'd to talk to you about" Simba said.

"O-OK dad" Kopa smiled. Simba always told him it was too dangerous to patrol with him since danger could lurk around any corner on the borders. Kopa was honored.

"And you, young lady. How about you spend some time with me?" Nala asked. She saw how Zira had taken as little role in her cubs' lives as she could. It sickened her, so Nala tried to become almost a second mother to her. Such a sweet cub didn't deserve to be neglected. No cub does she thought to herself.

"I'd LOVE to, queen Nala" Vitani said to her.

"Vitani, i told you, it's just Nala" she said chuckling.

"Right sorry quee-um, Nala" Vitani said, a smirk on her face.

-meanwhile-

"But dad, don't we eat the antelope?" Kopa asked, puzzled.

Simba laughed. "I asked my father the same question. But the point is, even though we do eat the antelope, when we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. We are all part of the Circle of Life. And with this we-"

"Wait a second, if we become the grass, and the antelope eat us, then we eat the antelope, isn't it kinda like we are, ya know, eating other lions?" Kopa asked, revolted by the idea.

"Well, we don't actually turn into grass. Our bodies provide energy for the grass to grow."

"Oh, ok...that's starting to sound a bit better..." the young lion said to his father.

"Ya, i guess i could have worded that another way" he chuckled.

-back at Pride Rock-

"So, Nala, how did you meet Simba?" Vitani asked shyly, not yet used to being accompanied by the queen.

Nala laughed. "Well 'Tani, my mother joined the pride when I was fairly young myself. None of the other cubs liked me. They called me an outsider and a freak because my fur is very light, and my eyes being blue, much like yours. Anyhow, one day, the other cubs thought it would be funny to throw mud at me. They shouted at me as it stained my fur.

-flashback-

'Maybe now you can fit in with us' some cubs said.

'No she can't because even if her coat fits in, she is still a filthy outsider'. Simba showed up and pinned the leader of their little clique and said to them.

'If you do one more thing to hurt or embarrass her, I'll throw you out of this kingdom myself. Are we clear?' he asked the cub he had pinned, how only replied

'Transparent'. I knew from that moment that I was in love with him, but always thought he'd never go for outsider trash like me. He walked over to me, and I was embarrassed he had seen me in such a humiliating state, covered in mud, sobbing uncontrollably.

'Are you OK?' he asked me. I simply threw myself on him hugging him, crying into his chest. He returned the hug and smiled.

'They won't bother you again, I can promise you that'. He asked my name, I asked his.

'You're the Prince Simba?'

'Yes' he said smiling. I began to bow to him, but he just laughed.

'Friends don't need to bow to each other' he said. This surprised me.

'Y-you'd be freinds with me?' I asked.

'Ya, why not?'

'Well, all the other cubs said I was a dirty outsider and nobody would ever be my friend.'

'Well hey, I will.'

'SIMBA' we heard in a low deep voice.

'I gotta go, I'll see ya around' he said, walking off. 'Oh and if it means anything, I think you have a beautiful coat' he said before running to his father.

-present-

"...and that's how I met Simba."

"Wow, he certainly sounds like a nice guy" Vitani said, still a little nervous.

"Yeah, he can be stubborn, and a little rough around the edges, and his time in the jungle didn't help, but he is still the greatest lion, husband, and king I've ever met" Nala told the young cub.

Zazu swooped onto the queen's shoulder and bowed. "Good morning, your majesty"

"Good morning, Zazu" she returned, realizing it was almost noon. "Zazu, could you fly around the kingdom and have all of the animals assemble? There is a great announcement to be made."

"I will leave at once, your highness" the majordomo stated, bowed, and took off.

-meanwhile-

"Oh, it's almost noon son. We must be heading back. There is an announcement to be made" the king said, scooping Kopa up onto his back and running to their home. Once they got back, the king quickly climbed up the paths to the presentation area. He sat down, causing Kopa to slide off of his back, to the stone floor.

"Oof" he said, his bottom impacting with the ground. "Oh, hey 'Tani!" he exclaimed as he ran towards her. "How was your day with mom?"

"It was SOOOOOOOO COOOOOOL! She showed me how to hunt mice, some fighting, and told me all about how she met your dad!" she seemed so excited about how today went. "How was yours?"

"Dad taught me about the Circle of Life, the importance of being a fair ruler, some king stuff" he said with a smile. "Nothing really fun, but if it's what I need to learn to be a good king, I don't mind learnin' it." Simba overheard this and smiled to his mate, who had heard it as well, both thinking the same thing. He will be a great king.

By this time, all the animals, including the rest of the pride (which included Zira's lionesses) were gathered at the bottom of Pride Rock.

"Good day to you all. Now there is an important announcement to be made. My queen and I have given thought to who our young Kopa will be betrothed to" the king said. This worried the two cubs.

"What if we can't be together now?" Vitani whispered to Kopa.

"Don't worry 'Tani, we can figure something out. Maybe I can get dad to change it to you" he reassured her.

"Kopa?"

"Hmm?"

"No matter what happens...I'll still love you..."

"I'll love you too" he said back, feeling a lick on his cheek.

"We have chosen his betrothed to be...Vitani!" the king said loudly, causing all the animals to hoot, holler, whinny, trumpet, and roar. All, that is, besides Zira and her clique. Zira's eyes widened in horror as the words left Simba's lips. Silently, her and her lionesses went back to Scar's old cave.

"How could he? How could he?" she repeated, pacing back and forth in the cave. "He knows I would never have my child marry his" she spat, almost gagging at the thought.

"But Zira, why does it matter?" questioned a younger lioness named Hasira, Anger.

Zira pounced on the young lioness, putting her onto her back. "WHY DOES IT MATTER?! I SHOULD KILL YOU FOR ASKING THAT!"

"Wait, wait, wait, Zira, let me explain" Hasira begged out of sheer fear and terror. "I didn't get to finish. I was asking why it matters because we are killing the prince today anyways..." she finished, shaking.

Zira's anger turned into an expression of happiness. "Ah, yes the betrothal had made me forget. I apologize for the outburst. My anger towards Simba was taken out on you and for that I am sorry."

Zira may have been an evil wench, but she could admit when she was wrong, and had immense respect for her followers and treated them as her equals.

"I understand, Zira. It is alright. Apology accepted" Hasira said, less frightened now that Zira was not holding her down.

"We strike in four hours!" she shouted to her lionesses.

-back on Pride Rock-

"YAY! I can't believe it! He picked you!"

"I KNOW! I'M SO HAPPY!"

"Not exactly the reaction i expected" Simba said to Nala.

"DAD!" Kopa shouted hearing his father's voice. He ran up to him and hugged his leg tightly. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"Well, you have your mother to thank for this, after all it was her idea" he said with a smile.

"THANK YOU MOM!" he said licking her cheek.

"You are very welcome, my son. I was just doing what would make you happy. After all, you two act like your father and I as cubs."

"Umm...miss Nala...mister Simba?" a nervous Vitani asked.

"Yes dear?" Nala answered.

"I-uh-well-um- I just wanted to thank you for this. It really means a lot to me. I really love Kopa and I'm honored you two have seen this and accepted it" she said nervously staring at her own paws.

"Vitani, love comes everywhere. When we saw it we had no choice to accept it, for your happiness as well as Kopa's" the king said. Vitani just smiled and gave her future husband a lick on the cheek.

"Now, you kids go play" the king said with a smile. The two ran off to enjoy each other's company.

Here is Chapter 3. Four will most likely be up tonight. Please send in reviews. This is my first fanfaction and I would like to know how it is coming so far. Any Questions? Comments? Fire Away.