I.

Two weeks after the depature from Kopa...

The sun was angled far up over the partially desert plains,all animals aside from vultures shaded from the high noon beams.

Kiara lapped water winding along under some trees,the king of the pride of lions who lived there having welcomed her to pass through.She had been pleased to learn that the Pridelanders had also been by earlier that day,and weren't that far away.

Finally,she thought in relief.It had been hard to keep up with them,the marshes only grew and the plains she travelled by herself seemed longer then ever.But she had made it alone.

"Is there anything else you need?"The princess asked,prying.

She paused from lapping."Just this water,thank you."

"Princess Atari,we found some more Pridelanders coming into our kingdom.Only three of them,but I'm growing suspcious..."

Kiara turned and almost choked at the sight of Timon,Pumbaa and another merekat.An even bigger,uglier waterhog stood beside them along with a snooty-looking female prairie dog.

"Well,do whatever you want to the merekats.But I've got dibs on porky here."She grinned wickedly down at Pumba over her warty snout,which he in turn quivered."I smell bacon tonight."

"She's got the right idea."Timon winked at the prarie dog,to which she turned up her nose."Hey,wait...Kiara!It that you!?"

The lioness smiled."I'm actually happy to see you for once."

"Kiara,where have you been all this time?"Pumbaa asked.

"It's a long story.Listen,I'm going to be a while.You need to catch up with everyone else.The Inlands aren't far off from here,you'll catch up."She rubbed her stomach for emphasise.

The two males looked at each other blankly.

"Boy,don't I feel old."Timon said lamely.

"This is hopeless."The older merekat moaned as she slid off of Pumbaa and walked over to splash water on her face."I'll never know what happened to my Kopa or catch the lion that sent my family away,"she sighed tiredly."There's just no use."

Kiara suddenly felt a strange click inside,her brother had been raised by merekats and by this one especially.But who was the lion responsible that Kopa had told her attacked everyone at the oasis where he had lived?That's when it suddenly hit her.

"If you keep going straight,you should find your lion."she told the old merekat,a shadow crossing over her face."I'll be along as soon as I can,guys.Give me a while.But I'll catch up soon."

"Will you be all right?"Timon asked regardfully,climbing up on Pumbaa and helping his mother up."We've got your back,kid."

"I'm not the lioness you knew from before."Kiara assured him and looking over to the small body of water,to where only the face of an adult shown,she believed in every word she spoke.

II.

Four weeks passed by,Kovu had counted this as he and the rest of the kingdom trudged across what felt like the entire world.He kept to himself a lot now and also kept quiet as he knew that nothing he said would change anything at the time.

The lion spoke to no one hardly as he thought deeply about everything that had happened since they had left Pride Rock all the way up to Tu becoming king.He thought and tried his best at putting the pieces together of what had lead them to now.

Everything...Kovu looked up from his spot off to the left side of the pride,to see a flock of strange white birds emerging over a ridge as if scouring the skies for a new home,was premeditated.

x.x.x

Vitani heard the sound of an odd swooshing noise down near the base of the plateau the lions were on,where two strips of deep blue sky showed even as the sky held a strong overcast.

A deep anxiousness was consuming the many animals that were behind them,mutters and whispers flooded her ears as the scent of water breezed by in strong rushes that caused an aroma to spike the atmosphere.It mingled right with the noise.

"Tu,what is all this?"She voiced her concerns.

He turned around to look at her and the lioness saw that his eyes were gleaming with a great excitement and passion for what lay beyond the ridge of land.But it was not for her and it was not for the rest of the kingdom,yet she would not speak.

"It's our home,Vitani."Tu went to stand at the peak as all of the animals gathered around to gaze out."This is the Inlands!"

Her breath caught in her throat as his voice resounded off the sheer cliffs running down,and leading off into a giant vastness of shining,clear water.None that she or anyone else had seen. Vitani looked down so she could finally discover the swooshing.

Some of the water surged forth and crashed against the big wall of rock,causing her to snap her eyes back up in time to see that land almost as big as the water lay in the distance.

"Well?"She asked Tu as he waited for her to speak.

"It's an island,"he explained,sitting down a moment."And this is the sea of water that never dries up.Understand now,Vitani?All of the struggling and sacrifice was worth what you endured.

Becoming queen is what you wanted.This kingdom is ours..."

"How will we cross the sea?"

"The tide will fall back in less then an hour,after that a stone path will form and we will cross it together.You,our cubs and I."

She met his entracing eyes and then looked back out at the kingdom,feeling Tu's nose nuzzle just right beneath her ear.

"This is what you wanted,"his words worked in combination with the strange new elements to entoxicate her."Is it not?"

Vitani felt herself shiver."It's what I always wanted."

"You're right,it is."

"I know now!"A female voice exclaimed from behind them.

All attention from the pride and the other animals nearest to them were drawn on them.The lioness that approached was the oldest in the pride,her creased emerald eyes emotional.

"I know who you are."She said to Tu softly.

Vitani felt the lion next to her tense up and the spell worked over her dissipated as Sarafina came closer to both of them.

"You're my son."her voice glistened with joy."I thought you were taken from me by some of the Outlanders,like the rest of our cubs.But you're alive!I finally recognize you,you're Mheetu."

x.x.x

Gasps rang up,frantic chattering began.Some lionesses took on a crestfallen look as memories suddenly seemed to become contagious and suffering.The rest of the animals were quiet.

This was the pride's business at the moment,Kovu noted to himself what the kingdom thought.He had grown largely more in tune with the different animals as the weeks moved pass.

But this had not diminished Kovu's focus on his main subject,at his compiling of ideas and conclusion to all that had happened.

"Mheetu?"Tu responded now to the hopeful lioness,a look of utter disgust crossing his face."My name is Tu and I was not born in your Pridelands,all right?I was born right over there."

"But,you remind me so much of Nalan."

"Wait,"Vitani suddenly interrupted."The first night you spent with me we talked about Scar possibly ordering for the cubs not choosen as heirs to be killed,remember?You were one."

Kovu felt a pang of guilt in his stomach at hearing this,he'd been the youngest in the pride and until now had not heard anyone talk about this.Still,he kept his wits closely in check as all the revelation began.The time for him to speak would come.

"Oh,that's right."Tu looked over at Vitani,trying to free his voice of any annoyance toward her."And I told you I didn't know who my mother and sister were by name.Now I can see the truth."

"I knew it."Sarafina moved to nuzzle the yellow lion."I knew Nalan had taken care of you after we lost contact,I knew it."

"Yes,"he stepped back,maintaining his perfected aloofness to mask his uneasiness."You're right.My father,King Nalan of the Inlands,told me everything.Nala was my sister and you're my-"

"Mother,yes."she cut him off by pushing against his neck."After losing you and Nala running off,I just didn't know what to do."

"Sarafina,maybe he needs some space."A lioness suggested.

The two moved back and met eyes awkwardly.

"Why didn't your father come?"She asked her son.

"I have a question of my own for you,King Tu."Kovu said,feeling it was as good as time as any."If you knew that the locuses were headed our way,why haven't we seen any more hits?"

He felt all eyes on him.

"I heard rumors."The older male defended calmly."You were hit by chance.When we heard stories from passing gulls,my father and I knew one of us needed to return for our family."he came up to nuzzle his mother,surprisingly."And I decided to,Mother."

"Did Nalan tell you about us?"Sarafina prodded eagerly.

"He described you,but told me to keep a low profile."Tu told her without skipping a beat."I had to make sure all traces of Scar were gone before revealing myself and now there isn't.

Don't you see,comrades,I came back after all this time so I could stop him.And mother,I didn't know it was you until my sister Nala died.Then I knew I couldn't tell you because I..."

"Tu,"Kovu intercepted him and Sarafina."If Nala hadn't been in the front trying to stop the renegade animals,then Simba would have remained in front.He would've fallen in that pit."

He saw the shock in the lion's eyes.

"It wasn't meant for Nala to die,was it?"

Tu bared his teeth."What're you talking about?"

"And Kiara,"Kovu continued to speak."If she hadn't left like that,what would have happened to her?By blood,her and of course Simba were traces of Scar.They're gone,you're king."

"I asked you a question."

"Zazu told me Simba didn't die from grief,"his green eyes leapt over to the startled hornbill a few feet away,and back to Tu."I saw the body for myself.He was suffocated by a pad of leafs."

"If you have no proof to present,this will cost you an exile."

"I have no proof."he admitted."But I feel like you don't care about this pride in the least.I know I can't be the only one in this kingdom who feels it,who knows that you do not care..."

The lion turned to the kingdom for any support and saw that they would not acknowledge him,so Kovu looked over to the lionesses;they looked to Tu.Kovu looked over to Vitani now.

"You know what I mean,"he encouraged her,knowing that as queen she had just as much say in this as Tu.If she took his side he would have level ground."Vitani,he just doesn't care."

"And your mate did?"Tu snapped angrily."If I recall right,your Kiara took off when things got too hard.The rest of us did not."

"In Kiara's defense,she just lost both her parents."

He growled in Vitani's direction."But has she returned?No.I'm going to ask you,Pridelanders,who has watched out for you?Who has lead you and hasn't deserted you this whole time?"

Kovu kept his sights on his sister,to which she began looking back and forth between the two.Deciding,determinding now.

"I ask you all,"Tu continued on loudly to his kingdom."Who?"

"You."Came a unison of calls,some louder or lower then others.

"Are you Pridelanders turned Inlanders?"He asked.

No one replied directly,but many seemed inclined to agree.All attention drifted to the queen now.Kovu tried to persuade her in his mind and heart,yet the clenchs of defeat were closing in on him.He had felt that this was his chance to expose this lion.

The intention was to get rid of Tu,but it would be him instead who would be gotten rid of.This had been his only chance and now he realized his anger with Tu was just his own pettiness.

He was acting just like Zira,petty and angry.He had thought all this time he was putting everyone else ahead of him by making Vitani (and Tu) rulers and by keeping to himself all of this time.

But in reality,he had only been bottling everything inside.Kiara was gone and she was never coming back.Whether she truly believed he still had had it out for her father,he'd never know.

"I'm sorry,Kovu."Vitani said at last."But there's no evidence."

"You have one chance to submit to my authority."Tu told him and came down to stare him in the eyes."You looked down on me the first time we met and now you'll finally look up to me."

The other animals brimmed with anticipation.

"Bow down."

Kovu readied himself to walk away entirely,when a mahogany warthog came trotting up with two tan merekats on it's back.

"A lioness told me the identity of the lion who attacked us the night before,"The older merekat,a female,approached them."It was a male and it was in the cohoots with all the locuses too."

"This male lion dug the hole that Nala fell in."Timon added."And that all the other animals fell into,it forced my coloney to flee."

"It could have been any lion."Tu told him.

"Kovu was there all night."An antilope testified."It wasn't him."

"Vitani,was Tu with you all night?"Kovu questioned her.

Unhesitantly,she shook her head."No,in fact he told me that he wanted to check with Zazu to see how Simba and Kiara were."

"Did he?"The black lion turned to him.

Zazu shook his head,an interested glint in his brown eyes.

When Kovu faced forward again Tu was sneering in his face.

"You'd be surprised how intelligent locuses are,scar boy."

With that statement,Kovu was instantly on top of him.Everyone watched in shock from the sidelines as the two lions went at it fierccely.Lunging and shoving their large bodies at each other.

Tu bit Kovu on the tail,causing him to release a howl of pain and double on the lion to hook his ebody claw into one of Tu's shoulders.When Kovu ripped it out blood rained to the ground.

"Well,look at that."Tu peered over the other lion's back,fighting back the urge to wince from the wound."Kiara is here after all."

In a sense of fleeting hope,Kovu glanced over behind him only to face forward again in realization far too late.Tu's brown claw tore into his already scarred eye in one clean,horizontal swipe.

"Yaahhh!"

"X marks the spot,"He hollered with laughter.

Kovu watched him from one closed eye,feeling the cool tingle of blood trickle down his cheek.It was as if Scar's spirit had gone on to manifest itself in the opposing lion,supplying itself in Tu.

"Don't you care about the pride and kingdoms' needs?"he said between clenched teeth."And what about your wife and cubs?"

Tu glared at him coolly."I've met their needs."

"After you commited murder..."

"You call it murder,I call it retribution at all Scar's blood kin.This is what had to be done as Scar tried to kill me.I'm in the right."

Kovu rolled his shoulders back and stood up to his full height.It wouldn't have taken a lot to bring Tu down,but he stalled a bit.

"Why didn't you harm Kiara?"

"I figured the loss of her parents was enough to drive her off."

"Mheetu,"Sarafina approached him."She is your niece."

"She's related to Scar!"Tu spat in her direction.

Just as her turned around,Kovu charged forward with a great amount of burst of speed and pinned down the overly-haughty lion down to the ground.The two rolled toward the cliff's edge.

When they stopped,Kovu was atop Tu with a paw pressed down on Tu's throat and his claws curled next to the jugular.

"Everything was perfect,"he seethed in a low voice."Everything was going to work out for the best and I was going to combine both of these kingdoms.I was going to be a hero and a king..."

"What about a father?A husband?"

The lion narrowed his eyes."You just don't get it,do you?"

"I get it."Kovu raised a claw,a rabid hatred for this lion born in him without instillment rising."It's a shame that you choose it."

"There's your girlfriend again."Tu whispered with a grin.

"I'm not falling for it,"he snapped."She's never coming back!"

"Stop Kovu!"Kiara's voice stunned him in place."I know what he did,but you can't rectify his crimes this way.Just let him go.My father gave Scar the same option,we need to give him one too."

"How dare you compare me with that traitor?!"

Reluctantly,Kovu stepped off and away from the lion.Tu stood up to shake himself off,glare meaningfully at the pregnant lioness who had stood up for him and than went to attack her head on.

At this,Vitani knocked him down the cliff.

The two mates tumbled down the giant expanse of rock.Tu fell on top of a shelf not far from the top,while the lioness crashed down the steep cliff while trying her best to grab onto the side.

"Vitani!"Kovu yelled down for his sister and began leaping from ledge to ledge in order to try getting down to her."I'm coming!"

He watched as Tu slowly advanced down toward her and came to rest where had managed to clasp a small rock hold mid-way.

"It's not too late,"he called down to her."Look,the path to the Inlands has appeared.If you come with me Vitani,you'll still be queen.We can raise our cubs together and rule all the islands."

x.x.x

She gazed far out to all the chains of land that ran along in the distance,looked back up into Tu's envious eyes and released at her own will.The rust-gold lioness fell with her back at the path.

"No!"A male's voice shrieked.It was her brother's.

There was a kick inside her stomach,as if the unborn offspring inside her were trying to escape.Vitani silently apologized to her babies and breathed a final time as her backside was skinned.

x.x.x

Kiara watched as Kovu climbed back up the cliff,alone.She had not seen what had become of Tu,but she definitely knew what had become of Vitani;the lioness could not accept nor decline a role that was so fought over that it was resolved in bloodshed.

Always,it would resolve in some sort of bloodshed.

The two now made eye-contact,one of Kovu's eyes were shut by deep slash across his lid.Kiara made a move over to him in order to see better,but stopped.Did she deserve his love after running away and refusing her crown?Did anyone ever deserve anything?

"Uhh,"she screwed her eyes shut as a deep surge of pain shot in her lower stomach,causing her to collasp on her side."Oww."

"She's in labor!"Someone gasped.

"Hurry,we must go to her aid."

The world shifted and swayed beneath her,her gut tightened and sweat formed on her brow.Lionesses gathered about her.

"I'll take her."She heard Kovu say and her mind slipped away.

x.x.x

He reached down to grab the scuff of Kiara's neck and carefully hoisted her onto his back.Turning to face all the animals,he took a deep breath and released a mighty roar to send them moving.

"What happened to Mheetu?"Sarafina asked him warbly.

The ebony lion looked at her,she had to face the inevitable now.

"Your son is still with you,while Tu went to the bottom of the cliff where my sister is and took off in opposite direction."He replied.

Kovu lead the kingdom down a steep decline so that they could access the path easily and head for the long-anticipated Inlands.

To be continued...

A/N:Yeah,it was long.Sue me. XD Hope you liked it.1 more ch!

LP