: Chapter 7:

If given a chance

Kovu woke up feeling exhausted despite what Vitani told him he did not sleep well at all, his mission was clear but he didn't know how he was going to act upon it, but now all he needed to see was Kiara she made him feel so great, he needed that now. He saw Kiara waking up he made his way toward her she looked at him concerned.

"Kovu you look awful." She said clearly worried.

"it's nothing" Kovu said brushing off her concerns.

"no don't do this, don't shut me out." Kiara asked him while placing her paw under his chin looking him in the eye smiling warmly.

"It's alright Kovu just talk to me." Kiara said sweetly.

a voice thundered out behind both of them. "I don't want you talking to him!" Simba stated firmly.

His expression suddenly softened, "I want to talk to him." He said his voice much more kind and polite this time. Kiara smiled at her father she expected Kovu to do the same but he looked even worse than he did before.

Simba and Kovu walked through out the pride lands exploring the areas that the recent fire destroyed.

"I don't hate you truly Kovu I want you to know that." Simba told him.

"well obviously I doubt I would walking with you if you did." Kovu joked.

"it's not about you it's about Scar." Simba continued.

Kovu's ears perked up at his predecessor's mention, "Scar" he asked confused.

What did Simba have to do with Scar Kovu knew that Simba usurped him but not much else.

"Scar was my uncle" Simba said, This Kovu knew.

"and I admired him he was coolest guy I ever knew, there were times when I wanted to be like him, but I didn't know" Simba continued.

"know what?" Kovu asked.

Simba looked down saddened his uncle's betrayal still hurt him, "the darkness in his soul, Scar hated my father I'm not sure why but everyone told me there was a reason, he wanted to be king apparently he saw the throne as true happiness once again I don't know why" Simba explained.

Kovu listened where was this going, "Whatever reason, Scar couldn't let it go and he murdered my father and tried to murder me as well, I was just a cub." Simba went on.

Kovu's expression changed, his jaw dropped in shock and his eyes widened he did not know this how much had Zira kept from them.

"he then wouldn't let it go he willingly let the entire pride lands die for his ego, and later betrayed his own friends who killed him." Simba told him.

This was insane if all this was true Scar was a monster, no wonder Simba took the throne, but wait what if he was making it sound worse to demonize Scar just like Zira demonized Simba.

"I could've saved him and I chose not to, it was wrong, but like everyone there's a darkness within me too and in that moment I gave into it." Simba said regretfully.

Kovu looked at Simba surprised he was actually admitting his mistakes, maybe he was wrong about Simba, or maybe Simba was a very good liar.

"That same darkness existed in Scar he couldn't escape it and in the end it destroyed him." Simba finished his tale.

Kovu wasn't sure what to think of all this, "I never heard the story of Scar like that he really was a killer." Kovu said sorrowfully, and even more shocking his Sorrow was real.

Simba saw Kovu's doubt and uncertainty so Zira had lied to them about the truth, Simba may have misjudged him, he saw him as only an outsider maybe it was time to see the other.

Simba motioned to the destroyed forest and wiped the ashes away "fire is a killer, sometimes what's left behind can grow better than the generation before if given a chance." Simba told Kovu while showing a small flower growing underneath the destroyed ground life had already began to grow anew.

Kovu looked at the flower as he pondered Simba's words maybe that was all that was needed, just to give each other a chance.

"why didn't you give us a chance just because we were loyal to Scar did we deserve exile for that?" Kovu asked a hint of anger in his voice.

Simba shook his head in sadness, "That's not why I banished you, I banished you because Zira killed my son." Simba nearly sobbed the last two words.

Kovu turned to him in shock, "no Kopa's death was an accident, Vitani loved him, She wouldn't kill him." Kovu said in complete denial.

"I'm sorry but it's true." Simba told him.

Kovu couldn't even look him in the eye. "Maybe we've all looked at this the wrong way, maybe we can solve this we just need to give each other a chance." Kovu told Simba, he'd tell him anything to find a different solution.

"You sound like my son, I know I should forgive but I can't." Simba said in response.

"I understand" Kovu barely managed to choke out the words.

Simba had enough of this conversation he got what he needed to know Kovu did not know of anything he was just a victim of the conflict, all of sudden Simba didn't feel so angry about seeing him with his daughter, those were probably some of the only happy moments of his entire life.

"How do you know Kiara so well, what happened between you is not enough to warrant the affection you two feel?" Simba asked.

Kovu knew he had to come clean, "for almost a year and half I would see her almost every other night, we'd stay together till almost dawn." Kovu told him.

"those are the best years of your life aren't they?" Simba asked though he knew the answer.

"they were incredible" Kovu answered.

Simba looked at him with what appeared to be pity, Kovu wondered could he get the truth from him it was worth trying.

"I would've given anything to see her again, why did you have to seal the escape route? We were safe, we were happy." Kovu asked him the last few sentences were board line desperate.

"I already told Kiara this but I didn't seal that up" Simba answered his voice was very soft and quiet.

"I had a theory you two were seeing each other I discovered her escape route as well but Nala and my mother convinced me to leave it" Simba explained the kindness in his voice growing.

"because it made two cubs happy, and that was enough." Simba finished, and Kovu believed him Simba did not seal that path but who did, he wasn't going to get the answers here because Simba did not have them.

"You"re very kind, your majesty" Kovu said in almost a whisper.

"hm I try I hear you've been trying to teach Kiara how to hunt, how's that been going." Simba asked a slight smirk on his face.

"I've seen antelope hunt better" Kovu answered shamed.

"and they don't even hunt!" Simba finished, both of them shared a laugh over that comment.

"maybe you should leave it to the professionals." Simba said smugly.

"you're looking at one." Kovu responded.

Simba wasn't sold, "really you want to make a wager on that?" Simba challenged him.

"sure if she catches an antelope within the next month you have to give me your half of the following meal." Kovu wagered.

"oh that's how we're going alright if she doesn't you have to soak in the water hole and sleep in a puddle." Simba fired back.

Kovu smirked "you're on" they shook paws.

"you've got your paws full on this one." Simba warned him.

"I always like to look at things on the bright side at least I'll stink up your den." They both laughed at that one.

They continued joking all the way back to the den, something weird was going on Kovu was actually liking Simba, it wouldn't matter when the time came right, he could still do it right, the truth was he wasn't sure anymore, Simba had given him a chance and now he deserved the same chance. Kovu continued to struggle with his inner turmoil, he had been told directly if he didn't do this everyone would probably die, what did he do now he just didn't know did he sacrifice a friend for everyone else and would that even solve anything, would anything, He just wasn't sure anymore.

"well we're pretty much caught up to right before the final third of the movie however we are nowhere near the end I'm aware a lot of this is still similar but the truth is Simba's pride has a good story that ties perfectly into everything i built up but there was much I also wanted to change the idea of Simba and Kovu becoming friends I feel only adds to Kovu's conflict which I really wanted to show. So what do you think do you like all these additions to Kovu's conflict.