A/N: Thanks for the reviews :) One reviewer told me not to stop writing. Well don't worry coz I'm not gonna stop before it's finished XD I'm just busy so it takes a while for me to update :) Enjoy!

Kopa and Ned headed towards Pride rock, and after a day of travelling, they could finally see the giant structure in the near distance. Ned grinned at Kopa before noticing the cub had stopped walking. Ned's grin faded into a frown, "Hey, cub, why the long face and the lack of movin'?"

Kopa shook his head and replied, "I'm scared they'll hate me. My parents, I mean. I'm worried my Dad's still really hurt…And I'm worried that no-one will wanna be around me anymore. I've been gone for over a week! What if they don't care about me anymore- maybe that's why they didn't come and find me. I just don't know, Mr Ned…"

Ned looked up sympathetically at the golden lion cub and exhaled through his teeth, "Geez, cub, that's a lotta worrying you've been up to. I'm sure your parents have missed ya loads, kiddo. When I was in your situation, I wanted naught more than to go to back to me family."

This caused Kopa to look up, "When you were in my situation? Don't you mean if?" His expression was almost hopeful- maybe Ned understood him better than he thought.

Ned chuckled, "Yeah Kopa, when. Beavers aren't often found around these parts y'know. In fact that's probably why you didn't know what I was to start with. I was captured by people, too, only they wanted me for some sorta experiment rather than a throw-rug. I'm not sure which is worse a fate to be honest with ya. So anyways, I got away, but was so intent on just escaping that I didn't realise I was half way 'round the world. So yeah, I set up in the forest, and now I can't remember much of anything different."

Kopa was astonished, "Wow…Well, um, would you like to come to pride rock? With me? I mean, you've looked after me for a whole week. Without the food you kept leaving me I'd be-" Kopa shuddered, "Eh, you know what I mean…"

Ned seemed to consider the offer for all of a split second, but soon decided that he couldn't. He shook his head, "Nah. Thanks for the offer, cub, but I like the forest too much. Besides, I wouldn't wanna be eaten up by lionesses now, would I?" He said the last part with a slight chuckle, as if the idea of living with lions was ridiculous, and Kopa briefly thought about telling his friend about Simba's relationship with Timon and Pumba, but decided against it- he just wanted to go home.

Ned cleared his throat, "Well then, kiddo, it was nice knowin' ya, but I think you have a family to return to. I might see ya around."

Kopa smiled, "Yeah…Thanks for helping me out. Bye!"

"See ya, kid."

~TLK~

(One day earlier)

Simba stood at the peak of Pride rock. He had a terrible feeling about something. He couldn't quite place it, but he sensed that his pride were in danger. Be it the hunters or the fact that Zira had walked out on the pride just a day previously, following a disagreement on whose cub would be the next king. She had vowed to 'get her revenge', only to return later that day and apologise, claiming that her actions had been out of order. But there had been something about her gaze…

All Simba could do was hope that it was his paranoia playing with his mind. He, after all, hadn't slept for longer than a couple of hours each night since Kopa's disappearance. Anyone would be weary in this situation, but with the healing of his wounds from the hunter incident, the king felt utterly drained- his disturbed thoughts could've easily been a result of this. And so he pushed them aside. Boy, was he mistaken.

Simba's thoughts had been proven correct during that night when a strange noise awoke him. He shot up, his eyes glazed with shock and Nala had nuzzled his shoulder, trying to get him to calm down which she had succeeded in until the king heard the noise again. This time however, so did Nala and evidently, Kiara, as the former had gasped and the latter had burst into tears. The racket had disturbed the rest of the pride, and within ten minutes, pride rock was a blood bath.

~TLK~

Kopa sprinted at full pelt towards his home, only to find it empty of any life. He was merely puzzled to being with, but stopped abruptly as he stepped in a deep-red coloured liquid. Eyes, wide and body rigid, Kopa risked a glance at the ground. He snapped his eyes shut at what he saw- Sarabi, Kopa's Grandmother, was laying there, dead. The cub only had to think for a second to realise that he had just trodden in her blood. Looking franticly around the cave, eyes darting all over the ground, Kopa made out the silhouettes of several other bodies. He shook his head. It couldn't be true! But it was. Kopa cried.

~TLK~

Simba's pride trudged along at a slow, dreary pace. Simba had long fallen back from the front of the pride, and many of the weaker pride members were close to collapsing. Some had already collapsed and were having to be carried by the few that were in a fit enough state for the job. Nala was one of these- she had gotten out of the cave with Kiara fairly quickly, under instruction from her mate to run and hide until the attack had subsided.

Deciding that she couldn't lead the pride on any longer, Nala bought them all to a clearing on the opposite side of a river to pride rock. Simba did a quick head count and ensured that all those who had been injured were okay for the time being. Nala watched from where she was laying as her mate slowly limped between the sprawled forms of the lionesses. After circulating the pride at least half a dozen times, he began to make his way over to the queen, and only just made it to her side before falling into a deep sleep.

Nala didn't sleep that night. She sighed to herself as she watched her husband's sides rise and fall rhythmically. She cradled her tiny daughter in her arms and thanked the lords that her princess had not been hurt in any way. Twenty-four hours ago, no-one would've believed her if she said that Zira had been the one to lead the attack, and that half of the pride had turned against the king and queen just like that. It was a different story now, however, and they were no longer safe in their own home; Nala knew that Zira had taken pride rock for her own, and she also knew that it would be a while until the remains of the pride would be recovered enough to fight back.

The queen's thoughts drifted to Kopa. Kopa. Simba and Nala's little prince. How Nala missed her son. The reason for his disappearance was a constant reminder to her that Zira wasn't the only danger out there in the pride lands. Nala licked her daughter affectionately on the head, holding her close- she wouldn't let Kiara get hurt or lost, and she knew that Simba felt even more strongly about this than she did. She made up her mind that as soon as the pride were back on their feet, they would take Pride rock back from Zira and ensure she would never bother them again.

That of course, was easier said than done, and there would still be the predominant threat of the hunters hanging over their heads. The hunters…Unbeknownst to the queen, the said hunters were a lot closer to the pride than merely being 'in the pridelands', and she never would have guessed that one was stood just 100 yards away with his gun pointed at Kiara…

A/N; Haha! A cliff hanger! I'm sorry if this isn't written very well. It felt horrible typing it, but I needed to get something up XD Please leave a review ^^