Alright, somewhat sooner than I expected, I finished Chapter 4! We start with a very confusing flashback...


"Zamaradi, huh...what a sweet name..." Nala cooed softly.

It had been just a couple of months since Simba had overthrown his uncle, and the savanna was already turning green again. He and his obviously pregnant mate were sitting just outside the den by the creek. Inside the cave, Tojo sat beside his own mate, his blue eyes gleaming with pride.

Kula had given birth the night before. The new mother was lying down at the mouth of the small den with her newborn cub cradled in her forelegs. The cub had a warm brown pelt like his mother and his eyes were a deep dark green.

"I told Kula that that its' too feminine..." Tojo chuckled.

"Hmph...you had three months to come up with a boy's name." Kula smiled and licked her newborn son. "Besides, I think it fits him perfectly...look at his eyes."

"Mmmmm...okay, b-but if I constantly hear 'Daddy the other cubs made fun of me again!', it's all on you!" The dark yellow lion retorted.

Nala looked over at her mate who had been awfully quiet since seeing the newborn. "Simba, is something wrong?"

He groaned. "Nothing. It's just...he looks so much like-"

"Scar? Yeah, Simba, we know!" Tojo finished the king's sentence contemptuously.

Simba sighed and looked away, and then there was a moment of awkward silence.

Kula tried to ease the tension. "So...Nala, when are you due?"

"In less than a month." The queen responded cheerfully. She hesitated for a moment, but decided to continue. "And...I was thinking...if I have another girl...your son could be her betrothal..."

Tojo and Kula's faces lit up. "Nala, we'd be honored!" Tojo couldn't sound more grateful.

Simba groaned hesitantly, and his queen rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly. "What now?"

"I just think...the next king should come from a royal line..." It wasn't the actual reason Simba didn't like the idea, but it was a good excuse.

Nala nuzzled him. "Don't worry, if this one's a girl, we'll just try again for a boy. He'd be the heir."

Simba shook his head firmly. "No, I only want one cub...I don't want to have to see my cubs kill each other over the throne..."

"But Simba, I really doubt that something like that will ever happen again-"

"You don't know for sure..." The king stated darkly.

Once again, there was silence and the atmosphere became very grave. This time it was Tojo who started on a different topic, albeit just as serious. "Zira's trial is today, right?"

Simba nodded. "Will we see you there?"

"One of us, maybe...can't leave my cub alone just yet." Kula responded, licking Zamaradi again.

"Speaking of leaving cubs alone, my daughter is probably awake by now. I better get home..." Nala looked back at Pride Rock.

Simba started back to home. "Alright, we'll see you later...and congratulations..."

"Mmhmm, congratulations!" The queen turned around to follow her mate but Tojo cleared his throat and caught her attention.

"Nala, Kula and I have something to ask of you..."

"What?" She faced them again.

Tojo continued, looking at Nala very pleadingly. "You see, we're afraid that, since Zira knows I told you and Simba about the murder...that...she might be out to get me..."

Nala shook her head. "I'm sure Zira won't ever be seen near here for a long time..."

"I know...but still...I'm worried...that something could happen to me...and Kula...you know how dangerous Zira is..."

Kula became a little impatient. "Anyway, Nala, we're asking if you would be kind enough as to be our son's guardian in case anything happened to us."

Nala hadn't seen that coming, but accepted almost immediately. Tojo and Kula were her two childhood best friends. They had been there for her in her time of greatest need, and she would be there for them in theirs. "Of course...if anything ever happens to you, I promise I'll protect your son" She lowered her head to get one last good look at the newborn "...but I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"Well, we certainly hope so..." Tojo laughed. "And thank you so much, Nala. It really means a whole lot to us..."


Nala continued walking back to Pride Rock in the night solemnly. She couldn't help but feel terrible about how much she had broken that promise. She couldn't imagine the kind of life Kovu had had in the Outlands, especially being trained and conditioned by Zira. The more she thought about Kovu's life in the Outlands, the more she worried about someone else who was growing up over there, and happened to be much closer to her...

Suddenly, she remembered something Kovu had said when he was about to kill her...

"Let's hope your daughter does a better job with me."

And then she remembered what Kiara asked her earlier that day...

"Do you...do you think Dad would ever accept him...not just into the pride, but...as his...heir?"

The queen's turquoise eyes abruptly went wide. NO! No...they couldn't have...Kiara just has a crush on him like everyone in the pride...and I'm sure Kovu was only bluffing...

She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head and continued walking through the grass. She climbed up the rock formation and saw the Outsider trying to sleep. The poor fellow looked terribly conflicted; he kept on tossing and turning and even growling. Nala went into the cave and saw that all the lionesses were asleep, but the lion king wasn't.

"Nala! I was wondering where you went!" Simba was lying in his normal spot on the elevated center of the den. He had his head and propped up on one of his front paws, and didn't look at all worried. He actually looked pretty amused. "You missed it! Kovu came running back here and looked like he had just seen a ghost! Quite a sight!"

Nala smiled and pretended to be disappointed. "Oh well..." She hopped up to Simba's side.

The king quickly turned to look at her, somewhat curious. "...where did you go, anyway?"

"Oh...around the waterhole..." She looked at him mischievously.

"What's so great about the water-Wait a minute..." Simba realized that they had once had this same conversation a long time ago, just with the roles reversed. He laughed and became inquisitive. "Alright, where did you really go?"

Nala's expression became more solemn. "I visited Tojo and Kula's old den."

The king's joy vanished. "Oh..."

"Simba...there's something very important I have to tell you..."

"You can tell me anything, Nala."

Nala gazed into her mate's trustful vermilion eyes. As queen, it was her duty to tell him about why Kovu was really in the Pridelands. However, Kovu was probably going to forget about that mission now, and if she actually told Simba, he would certainly overreact and banish Kovu...she couldn't let that happen...she wouldn't let Kula and Tojo down again.

She smiled sheepishly. "I love you."


As the sun rose and cast the Serengeti in a golden hue, a dark figure walked alone towards the Outlands. He needed answers, and he still had it drilled into his brain that he couldn't trust Queen Nala. But last night, all those memories...they were all just so real. He was presently very confused.

He continued on walking, not being very attentive to what may be lurking behind him...

"GOTCHA!"

He went tumbling to the ground as he a golden lioness burst out of the tall grass, pounced on him, flipped him over, and pinned him to the ground, .

Kiara laughed, happy that she had finally got him, but her expression suddenly turned to pain. "OW! OW! OW!" She whimpered.

The Outsider was caught completely off guard and for a moment thought he was actually being attacked. Therefore, he had grabbed his attacker's shoulders, and extended his claws...and he had drawn blood.

The princess backed off, still yelping. The cuts weren't too bad, but they still hurt. "Why did you-"

Kovu sat up and didn't show any compassion. "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again. Got it?"

"Okay, okay-but why did-" Kiara's voice cracked.

"Because...none of your concern." He turned and looked away.

"What?" Despite what had just happened, Kiara moved closer to him.

He still wasn't turned toward her. "Look, Kiara, I'm in a really bad mood-"

"How was I supposed to know? Just because I'm your mate doesn't mean I can read your mind!" Kiara yelled angrily, and saw Kovu sigh deeply.

Kovu felt a little contrite for already ruining the poor girl's life as part of a mission that he was now unsure of completing. He faced her. "Yeah...about that...I'm not sure if this is going to work out..."

Kiara's mouth hung open but she didn't say a word. She just couldn't believe what was happening. Is he seriously leaving me?!

"I'm sorry, Kiara, but...I-"

"You said..." She looked down."You said you loved me...more than anyone in the world...was that...was that a lie?"

Kovu exhaled. "Kiara, I-"

"I should've known..." Kiara shook her head. She looked up and glared at Kovu with a face close to crying. Kovu hung his head, unable to look at her. Her face showed shock, betrayal, heartbreak...and anger. "I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!" She started to tear, and Kovu tried to say something but she continued. "I've heard of lions like you...you're just like my grandfather, my mother's father...you wander from pride to pride, staying with each one just long enough to, to...you find a young, innocent lioness...you tell her all sorts of lies, about how much you love her and all that...you get really intimate with her...and then you just disappear, leaving her heartbroken and with a cub to take care of all by herself..."

She snorted. "Well, you should know-I'm not just some innocent lioness, Kovu! I am the crown princess of the Pridelands! And I could be pregnant with your cub, and that would make you the future king!" She spoke very aggressively, but her next sentence sounded pleading. "You can't leave!"

After Kiara finished her invective, Kovu looked up at her. He was clearly feeling insulted, and only became more defensive. "I-I'm only leaving for a little while, and wow, are you overreacting. You really didn't think I knew about the whole secession law?!" He scoffed.

"Oh, I'm only leaving for a little while. I'll be back before you know it!" Kiara spoke in a mocking voice. "My grandmother says that's exactly what her mate said...the day he left." She stared at Kovu directly in the eye. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you."

Kovu rolled his eyes, now regretting admitting he lied to her. This was getting really annoying. "Kiara, let's face it. That was your first time...the chances of you really being pregnant are-"

"Is it impossible?" Kiara asked him sternly, although they both knew the answer.

"Kiara!"

"Answer my question!"

Kovu sighed. "No, it's not...but-"

Kiara had him cornered. She enunciated every word clearly, holding herself together firmly. "Then do you deny the possibility that your cub is inside of me."

The dark lion snarled, and didn't say anything for a moment. Kovu just stared at her vehemently. "Alright, princess, here's the deal. I'll stay here until you can be sure if you're pregnant or not. If you really are, then I'll stay, alright?! But if you're not, then I will leave...and don't be surprised if I really do never come back!" He stormed off in the direction of Pride Rock.

Kiara was slightly glad to see that he wasn't leaving, but was still mad. She sat down and tried to calm herself. Kovu looked back at her, and asked casually, as if they hadn't just fought, "Where's your mother?"

"She's out hunting...why?"

"Oh, I happen to be having some, uh, family...issues...she just knows a lot about what's going on." Kovu turned back around and walked away.

Kiara looked on after him incredulously. "Oh-kay..." She tried to concentrate on all the lies she had just uncovered. So Kovu doesn't love me...at all. Unfortunately, Kiara had just been starting to learn to love him, and found it difficult to let go. But her biggest concern now was the thought of him leaving. He may have said he would stay, but the princess knew better than to believe anything he said. If he really did leave forever, and it turned out she was pregnant, all hell would break loose. I have to find some way to make him stay...

She tried to think, but as she thought more about him, she couldn't help but continuously ask one question: if he really didn't love her nor wanted to be king, then why did he deliberately seduce her? It was a total mystery. However, as Kiara rested, she became more aware of the wounds Kovu had physically inflicted on her before their verbal dispute. They needed treatment, so Kiara started walking lightly towards a certain tall baobab tree...


From the base of the enormous sacred wood, Kiara could hear the mandrill shaman chanting cheerfully in incomprehensible Kiswhahili. She looked up and although she could definitely hear him, she couldn't see him at all.

"Rafiki? Rafiki?" She tried calling his name, looking up into the deep green of the arbor but not seeing him anywhere.

"RAFIKI!" She yelled.

"Ah, Princess Kiara!" The monkey poked his joyful, multicolored head out from the canopy, but his expression became somewhat serious when he saw her cuts. "Rafiki will be right down!"

He went back into the tree for a moment and then climbed down carrying a few herbs in his mouth. "Tell Rafiki, who did dis to you?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm fine-Oh! OW!" She yelped and jumped slightly when Rafiki rubbed some of the stuff on her minor wounds. "That hurt more than when Kovu clawed me-"

Rafiki lowered his voice. "Kovu did dis to you?"

"Yeah but-"

"Hmph." Rafiki crossed his arms and turned away. "I knew da plan would nevah work."

Kiara only barely heard what the mandrill said. "What?"

"Hm? Oh, nudding-" He waved her away.

"You said something about a plan-" Kiara was a little curious and approached him.

Rafiki sighed. "Da spirits told me dat you and Kovu were meant to be toogeduh...hmph...I knew day were wrong..."

Kiara lit up. "No, they're not wrong! I really am in love with Kovu! The only problem is..." She looked at her cuts. "I don't think he's in love with me..."

Rafiki looked up at the sky, and the felt the wind blow through his white mane. "Rafiki know day spirits never lied before...Mufasa is probably right...maybe you and Kovu do really beelong toogeduh..." He sighed, turned around and smiled. "Okay...Rafiki know a ding or two about upendi. Don't dink he was alone all his life!" He chuckled, wheezing.

Kiara looked a little confused. "What's 'upendi'?"

Rafiki only laughed harder as he started to climbed back up his tree and disappeared into the arbor. "You and Kovu will find out tonight!"


I hope that scene with Kovu and Kiara was emotional as i intended it to be...

Yeah, I know the flashback was confusing and raises a lot of questions...

Anyway, "Zamaradi" is an actual Swahili name (a girl's name though, poor Kovu). It means "Emerald".

Alright, thank you for reading! Chapter 5 should be up before the end of next month. Busy summer...