Author's Note: This chapter's longer than the rest, so I expect more reviews, people! Thou hast forgotten the practice of reviewing! Surely thou art still fond of it? Just remember, please, thy reviews art welcome!

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The scarlet glow of the sun expanded over the barren horizon of the Outlands, casting a deep red gleam upon the dusty ground. Below this dawn resided a bony, malnourished pride of lions and lionesses known as the Outlanders, led by the intimidating female Zira, a lioness bent on the death of the King and the rebirth of Scar's legacy. Her children can be seen awakening from their light slumbers, in a den not far from the border separating mortal enemies.

Nuka, grown into a scrawny, mangled lion with ashy fur, nibbled at the termites clinging to his pelt. He snorted, peering over at Kovu, who slept in a dead tree stump a few feet away from him. That was the pathetic form destined to become their great king? All of his mother's attention directed at that scrap, and this was what he would amount to? It sickened Nuka deeply. Forever would the older brother behold himself in the looming shadow of his younger sibling. And, about a day after his quarrel with his mother, the duty of babysitting the twerp would be thrust upon his shoulders.

"Kovu! Hurry up and crawl out of bed!" he snapped impatiently, tapping a paw on the stone-hard ground. Kovu. The name sat upon his tongue like a stubborn termite; sour and bitter, yet clutching onto his gums so desperately.

Kovu parted his jaws in a yawn, revealing dagger-like teeth, which had been busy preparing themselves for the fated day that they would rip the flesh of Simba. A deep chocolate-brown tuft of fur sprouted from atop his head, the beginning of an eventual mane. "Aww, Nuka, do we have to go? I wanna stay home and do something fun!"

"You'll come whether you want to or not, you little termite!" Nuka growled. Kovu cast his sister a side-glance.

Vitani smirked. "Don't worry, Kovu. Come back later and we can play and fight… you know, all that fun stuff."

Though, in all honesty, Vitani hadn't had true fun since their secession from the Pridelands. Kovu was now old enough to go out and play, but he was still younger than her, and therefore couldn't take as much roughhousing as his sister. Nuka had lost his spark; to be honest, Vitani had many times believed that he had completely lost his mind, corrupt by his desire to please ZIra. That's going to come back and haunt him, one day.

Vitani padded out of the den, approaching a puddle of water upon the ground and lapping up some water. Sapphire eyes exhibited themselves from beneath her eyelids, staring down deep into the pool of water, examining herself out of sheer boredom. Unlike that of many lions and lionesses, a half of her ceased to be hidden. Many times had she heard others in her pride mention their "other half"; how, if they peered into their reflection, a part of them would be veiled beneath some sort of mist, as if looking through a thick blanket of fog. Yet, gazing down at herself, she saw not a single portion of her body missing. Did this, perhaps, indicate that her life was as complete as it was ever going to be? This subject seemed to come up constantly in her rebellious mind. Sure, she refused to let something like fate be played out for her. Her destiny could change, and it would… right?

Vitani rolled her eyes, snarling suddenly. Claws unsheathed, her paw raked down the surface of the puddle, splashing water every which way. Proud and irked, the young lioness strutted away from the shameful water, head held high. To Hell with fate; not even the Great Kings, if they were watching over her, would lay out her destiny for her.

I make my own destiny.

****

Kovu raced atop a dusty hill, gazing down over the Outlands. A brighter, more charming area existed beyond their borders, sending a shiver of fascination down his spine to the tip of his tail. "Hey, what's that out there besides Simba, Nuka?" he asked, only to discover that his brother was nowhere to be found. Kovu rolled his eyes, shaking his head sadly. Regardless of what the poor cub did, Nuka would never grow fond of his brother. Was it something he had done? For what reason did the cranky lion hate him so much?

The young cub trotted down the hill, approaching the border between their lands and the Pridelands. His head cocked to the side in curiosity, Kovu crossed the borderline, soon coming to a stream with many dying, blackened tree branches jutting out from beneath the water.

And, not too far in the distance, a voice could be heard giggling from the other side.

****

A scrawny wildebeest calf stood in a clearing, alone, knees trembling in fear and uncertainty. A funny feeling had rushed over the young calf; the feeling that another being is watching your every move.

And, indeed, a pair of auburn irises glowered in the tall grasses behind the wildebeest. Zira's muscles flexed, rippling beneath her scrawny physique. Her claws unsheathed as her fangs dripped with saliva at the thought of sinking her teeth into the delicate flesh of her prey. Scarce as food had become in the Outlands, any scrap of meat was considered a glorious morsel. Silently, she prepared to pounce.

The calf's head raised suddenly, ears acute and eyes alert, and took off bounding in the opposite direction. Zira's eyes widened in surprise, and she raced away after the young wildebeest. However, the calf's head start was in vain and the swift lioness's claws soon grasped the wildebeest's flanks, leaving it helpless as Zira's teeth dug deep into its throat.

The calf fell to the ground with a thud as Zira gorged herself. Customs of the Pridelands had long since been broken, and whoever caught the prey got the privilege of eating it. As she tore into the bloodied side of the calf, the divine flavor of meat sent Zira into a world of pleasure on hiatus for so long causing her craving for a true meal skyrocketing. A meal so pleasing would surely never come again, so she continued to gorge herself in the flesh of the wildebeest.

Her ears perked up at a sound, presumably the one the calf had heard. Such a noise sent Zira's heart racing in excitement, causing her to halt in her feasting and listen. Quietly, she clutched the calf's corpse in her mouth and buried it, saving it for later. Upon scenting their leader, the lionesses of her pride wouldn't dare try to steal it.

Licking her lips and claws clean of blood and gore, the lioness lurked off towards the sound.

The sound of her youngest son and another lioness. A female cub.

****

"Panya?" Simba approached the young cheetah atop Pride Rock. With the King's approval, Panya often sat upon the majestic Rock, gazing out over the Pridelands. The cheetah found this practice relaxing and soothing to the soul. So much peace had been endured since her arrival, and it all caused an emotion deep within that could be explained as warmth of the sun. She turned her head, facing the King calmly.

Simba, on the other hand, appeared much more stressed and panicky. His breathing was inconsistent and heavy, and he paced back and forth with worry. "Where is Kiara?"

Panya shrugged her shoulders, squinting out over the Pridelands in search of the cub. At last, she spotted some sort of golden movement off I the distance, near the Outland border. Following her gaze, Simba caught glimpse of his daughter as well… as well as the form of a mud-brown cub with an incredibly familiar appearance.

Kovu! He thought, his distress growing to the point of overflow. "Kiara!" he shouted, bounding off after his daughter. The male cub had to be stopped before…

The King refused to complete that sentence. He had already lost one cub. He wasn't about to lose another.

****

"I'm Kovu. What's your name?"

The golden lioness fluttered her eyes slightly, something she had seen her mother do around her father. Nearing the male cub, she softened her gaze and said after a giggle, "I'm Kiara."

Zira, watching the two in the grass nearby, snarled lowly with sudden realization. The familiar pelt of the lioness was unforgettable; the pelt of Mufasa, the pelt of Simba, the pelt of Kopa.

This wretched female was none other than the daughter of that condemned King himself.

Kovu raised an eyebrow, watching this strange lioness bounce back and forth, smirking in a way similar to that of his sister; a smirk indicating the urge to fight. Assuming that she merely wished to play-fight, he grinned as well and lowered himself, ready to join in the fun.

A large shadow cast itself over Kiara, an echoing roar erupting from the chest of its beholder. Spying her royal enemy, Zira bounded forward, standing over her cub defensively, and snarled back at the King menacingly. Now both cubs were shaking in fear and misunderstanding; for what reasons were their parents emitting such murderous auras?

Both King of the Pridelands and Queen of the Outlands glowered at the other's cub, intent to kill evident in their gleaming eyes. What was said afterwards was not fully comprehended by either child, but as their parents carried them off, they exchanged one last goodbye.

But, would fate truly allow them to be separated forever?

****

Nuka returned to the main body of the Outlands, muttering under his breath things about "the accursed Kovu" and other such things like a maniac.

Vitani's eyes saw him approach, yet she paid no attention to what he did. Nuka was none of her concern, brother or not. She continued to pull on a rubbery branch, perhaps to thrust her temper about fate and whatnot upon the branch as opposed to those around her.

"Oh, hey Vitani!" commented Nuka, sarcastic as ever. Unsheathing a single claw, he snapped the branch in half, sending Vitani tumbling backwards.

"Nuka!" snapped the tomboyish lioness, eyes narrowed as she approached her cackling brother. "Where's Kovu? Don't tell me you left him out on his own again? Mother's going to be mad. She told you to watch him!"

"Oh, who cares? I should've been the chosen one!" Nuka yowled in irritation at the termites that continued to nip at his flesh. "I could be a leader if she'd just give me a chance!"

Vitani snickered. "Yeah? Why don't you tell that to her?"

"Don't think I won't!"

"Here's your chance," she replied cooly, smirking.

Zira, eyes narrowed, walked at a normal pace past her two elder cubs, paying no mind to them at that moment. She had more important matters to attend to.

"Mother!" Nuka's personality completely transformed as his need for approval continued to corrupt him. "I caught some termites for your dinner and I- um…" She continued to walk past him, dropping Kovu upon the hard earth.

Zira whirled around, facing her eldest son with fury. "You were supposed to be watching him!"

Vitani's eyebrows raised, impressed that, though her mother was enraged, she didn't completely rip Nuka to ribbons. Kovu continued to go on and on about how he had thought that the King's daughter meant them no harm. His sister's ocean-blue eyes rolled. Some kits just didn't learn; regardless of her personality, Kiara's relations made her an enemy. Had Kopa still been alive, she would've had to cut all ties with him as well. Actually, if Kopa hadn't died, none of this would have happened.

Zira circled her youngest son, who was still laying against the cold, rocky earth with fear and misunderstanding. "You thought you'd get to the daughter, and Simba would welcome you with open arms?" She continued to roll her eyes in disbelief. "What an idea!"

Zira's circling halted suddenly, a plot awakening itself in the back of her mind, revealing a master plan that had no chance of failing. The look of fury upon her face flopped into that of an ecstatic psychopath as she smiled down at her unintentionally-intelligent son. "What an idea!"

Vitani and Nuka seemed to see the basic path this plot would take; Kovu would get on Simba's good side by spending time with Kiara, thus giving him the perfect opportunity to wring Simba's royal neck and restore Scar's incomplete legacy.

The plan seemed foolproof. All going as planned, Scar would be avenged after all.

****

As the sun began to set upon the Outlands, Zira padded back to where she had buried the wildebeest corpse, thinking ahead about the plan. Nothing would stop them now. Just as Scar had planned, Kovu would avenge him and restore what Scar hadn't the chance to complete.

Zira approached her lover catiously; the dark expression featured on his face was that of one who should not be bothered, lest it be critical. Placing a slim paw upon his shoulder, she gazed intently into the deep pools of auburn that made her stomach churn with desire. "Something troubles you."

"Indeed. You can read my thoughts, as ever." Scar continued to stare across the dying Pridelands, eyes grim. "I feel as though my time as king shan't last more than a moon. Something is out there, Zira, something that wishes nothing more than my demise."

"You don't perhaps believe that Simba lives, do you?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head, jet black mane swishing ever which way and that. "Of course not. I refer to them," he motioned to the greenish sky.

"The Great Kings of the Past?"

He nodded. "Without a doubt, Mufasa has driven them to despise me. One cannot live long in this world with the Great Kings ready to take your life."

The two lions blinked, eyes still fixed upon the clouded sky. "What do you propose we do?"

Scar stood suddenly, nudging Zira's side with his muzzle, indicating her swelling belly.

"Your child…"

"Hm? I'm afraid I don't-"

"If it is a son, he shall take my place as king."

These words sent a chill of awe down Zira's spine. The highest honor… her child would become the heir to the throne? "O-Of course, Taka. And if it is female?"

Scar pondered briefly before replying. "Then I bestow full responsibility upon your shoulders."

Zira nodded slowly, taking all of this in. "Thank you, my king…" She turned and trotted towards the den to sleep.

"Oh, and Zira?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember, this is our secret. Do not let me down."

"Yes, my love."

"Do not let me down." Those words continued to ring continuously within her head; the last words spoken to her by her beloved Taka.

At last, Zira approached the mound of dirt under which the carcass was. Digging her paws deep within the dry earth, she pushed around the sediment and stared down deep into the barren hole.

Except for blood stains here and there… empty. Perhaps she had been wrong; maybe her pride weren't as loyal as they acted… no. The scents around the pile, though filling her nostrils with putrid stink, belonged not to an Outlander, but to another, neither Outlander nor Pridelander.

How long would these strange happenings go on? The disappearance of three of her lionesses, and now prey theft?

Something was out there. Something she didn't like.

Something that didn't fancy her, either.

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Author's Note: Deepest apologies, this chapter contains more of the thoughts of characters during the second movie than Kopa and OC moments. They WILL play an important role eventually… Remember to review more than before, as this chapter is twice as long!