A/N: Hey peoples! I am SO SORRY for not updating for so long…but now that school is almost over I'd count on this fanfic being updated every week. I would appreciate if you guys gave some ideas in reviews. Keep being awesome, reviewing, and etc., and I'll try my best to get the chapters out faster!

SARAFINA POV

Those symptoms I mentioned before: dizziness, nausea, and etc. seemed to have gone away. For now, at least. I had gone to Rafiki earlier to see what was going on, and he simply bit his lip and muttered, "Everyding iss quite fine…" in the silly accent of his.

"Thanks, Raf," I replied, and headed back.

I did feel slightly bad for snapping at Simba earlier, but what else could I do? I had to play the part.

But most importantly, I had to succeed.

RAFIKI'S POV

I knew something was going on between Sarafina and Scar, but I didn't dare tell the king. Who knows what he would have done. I knew, like most wise creatures, that it was best to wait a bit before telling, to verify the events.

So I watched in the shadows, and I waited.

SIMBA'S POV

I couldn't quite soak in what Rafiki had said. They were missing? The two other halves of my heart and of my life…just…gone. I refused to give up. I sent out search parties everywhere. Frantic friends of Nala including her brother, Meetu, and her best friend Kula. Those two made up one search party, Tojo and Alex in another, and Kinya and Chausiku in another, and Dalila, Fatima and Nomalanga in my search party. Those three had extremely sharp noses and were sure to find a trail.

If there was one.

No, I told myself. I couldn't think that way. We left the cave with a kind of depressed air, poor Dalila especially, because besides Kula, she was one of Nala's best friends. I led my search party past the watering hole to where the battle with Scar and his followers took place.

"I want you to search every blade of grass, every nick and cranny in the ground. No inch goes unsearched, no centimeter goes un-sniffed!" I snapped.

"Yes, sir!" they cried and hurried away. It hadn't been more than five minutes when Dalila cried out. We all hurried over.

"Dalila, are you alright?" I yelled. I couldn't see her in the tall grass.

"Y-yes, King Simba. It's just…look!" she stammered, sticking her tail up so we knew where she was. I pushed past the others.

"Is it them? Is it-" I was cut off when I saw the sight of two bodies. One of them was tiny, very very tiny, almost microscopic in comparison to the other one. The small one had light golden brown fur, a tuft of brown hair on its head, and its eyes were closed, but the rise and fall of its chest indicated that it was breathing.

The other one, however, I recognized immediately. It was Nala, with blood around her. My vision went a little bit blurry and I felt dizzy. I felt like I was being separated from my body. My chest was tightening up and I whispered, "…N…Nala?"

Somebody padded toward my shoulder. It was Nomalanga. "Are you all right, your Majesty?" she asked gently, setting her tail on my shoulder. "I know how it's like to lose not one, but two loved ones." I snarled at her and shook her tail off.

"Somebody get Rafiki!" I ordered. "Now!" Fatima ran off as fast as she could. I wobbled toward Nala's body—I mean, Nala. She had no visible wounds that I could see, at least. Maybe the blood was from birth?

I gently turned Nala around and she twitched and opened her eyes. "Nala?" I whispered in her ear, gently licking her face. "Are you alright?"

"…Kopa…" she muttered. "Over…there…"

Ah, so that little tiny lion was my son. "Kopa's alright…" I reassured her. "I think…" I muttered to myself and padded over to the tiny form. I tentatively nudged him.

"Hey Kopa," I murmured. "I'm your daddy." He twitched in response, and stretched and landed with his tiny paw on my nose. I smiled. "What a way to meet you, huh?" He yawned. Suddenly, Rafiki and Fatima had returned.

"Hi Rafiki," I whispered, not wanting to disturb Kopa.

"Simba, my friend!" he cried. "I see dat dis cub is vedy healdy, no?"

"I don't know about that…" I mused, gesturing to the scene. He examined first Kopa, assuring me that nothing had happened to him, just a little bit bruised, and then Nala. Nala, he said, had more serious injuries and she would have to rest for a few days.

"But what happened?" I exclaimed. "Who did this?"

"Well, I cannot be sure, Simba," Rafiki said mournfully. "But dere is some tufts of dark fur here, you see?" he showed me.

"So it's not Sarafina," I muttered, slinging Nala over my back and carrying Kopa in my mouth.

"Fto fe café," I mumbled around his fur. The lionesses followed me.

?_?_?

SARABI'S POV

You can't imagine how relieved I was when Simba came back, unharmed, with Nala and Kopa, at that. I literally dissolved and melted with relief. Literally. I dropped on the floor.

"Oh, Simba!" I wailed.

"Hey, mom," he smiled gently and I was struck by how much he looked like Mufasa. "Meet Kopa." He gently, ever so gently, set down the tiny cub in front of me. I was awed by how much he looked like Simba.

"Oh, darling!" I cried. "You're a father now. Oh, your father would be so proud. Kopa looks so much like you!" Simba smiled and purred as Nala, on the ground now, roused and licked his face and fell asleep.

"I'll watch Kopa while you two sleep," I offered immediately. "It's been a long day." Simba looked like he wanted to say something but Nala pulled him down and the two started snoring in no time.

I smiled down at Kopa, who looked so innocent in his sleep.

"Hey, Kopa," I whispered. "I'm your grandma. You are very lucky to have such a beautiful family, you know that?" I tucked him in a tiny ditch and slept next to it.

SARAFINA'S POV

I tiptoed back into the cave once I was sure everyone was asleep. It was nice and dark and I had a new order from Scar. Truthfully, I was tired. I didn't want to be everyone's servant anymore. I had to pick a side, and soon.

Looking around for that dratted cub, who pretty much caused all this trouble, I silently tugged him out of the ditch, put him in my mouth, and ran out of the cave.

NALA'S POV

I saw a shadow lean into a hole and pick up a tiny shape, who could only be Kopa, who was one of the three cubs in the whole pride. I nudged Simba awake and motioned for him to be quiet, then we followed the shadow. From our point of view, it looked to be a lioness, heading toward the battle place.

"Looks kinda like your mom," Simba hissed.

"Shut up!" I snapped back. The figure and the tiny shape stepped into a cave that I hadn't seen before. As we hid in the bushes and two familiar voices rang out in the moonlight, I found that Simba, unfortunately, was correct.

"Sarafina! I told you to lure him out, not carry him!" it was Scar's silky voice.

"It's too dark," she snapped back.

"Whatever. Now that we have the brat, wait until morning, bring it back injured, and then kill it. In front of my nephew and his stupid wife," Scar commanded, and I could almost see him grinning. "I will take care of those monarchs. Then I will be king!"

"Okay, Simba, I've heard enough," I snarled. "I need…we need to punish my…my mother."

Simba looked at me sadly. "It will break your heart. She will be punished with treason. You do know the punishment for that, right?"

I sighed and swallowed my tears. Who did I love more? My mother, who kept me alive during the harsh seasons, who was always there for me, or my cub, who was a piece of me? Who?

I think we all know the answer to that. "I…yes, I do. And…I think she deserves it," I choked out and turned away so Simba wouldn't see my tears. He moved closer to me and pressed himself into my fur, reassuring me.

"I'm going to gather a circle of males around this cave, alright? Tomorrow morning we will do it. Are you sure, Nala?"

"I…yes. I'm sure."

?_?_?

SIMBA'S POV

I had Alex, Tojo, Zazu, Meetu, and Chumvi in the first ring to ambush, and Nomalanga, Fatima, and Kula in the second. Nala and I were at the front, and Rafiki at the back. I had told my mother to stay back so her heart wouldn't break. As one, we roared just as the sky began to change colors, and the rest of the animals in the savanna soon gathered around the cave. It became increasingly hot and miffy.

"Sarafina!" I yelled. "You have been accused of treason. Please report outside immediately!" We waited anxiously, when Sarafina tentatively poked her head around the cave entrance, and immediately ducked back inside.

We heard some scuffling noises, but I signaled for everyone to be patient. She was probably overwhelmed at her big welcome party.

"Mom?" Nala asked and crept toward the cave.

"Nala! Don't go there," I warned, not trusting Scar. "Just—just stay here." She glared at me and went in, and two seconds later a pale body shot out, right at my feet.

Nala.

I stood there for a moment, in shock, and yelled out, "Nala!" I collapsed in front of her, searching her, sniffing her for any visible wounds. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. Somebody hauled her into the midst of the animals, where she would be safe.

"Take her back to Pride Rock," I whispered to an elephant near me. Finally, seeing as nobody was making any progress, Rafiki himself stood in front of the cave and commanded that Sarafina come forward.

She did.

I was thoroughly insulted.

I motioned for Rafiki to leave and heal Nala, and he had a look on his face that said, Ugh. Horrible timing. I rolled my eyes and turned to Sarafina.

"Sarafina," I began, "or, Mom, if you prefer—"

"Mom will do fine."

"Okay. Mom. You have been accused of treason. Alex?"

Alex brought forth my son. "This is Kopa, heir to Pride Rock. Sarafina threw him in a ditch, conspired with Scar after the battle, and injured my family."

Sarafina began, "No, your majesty, I only did it for your benefit!"

The animals began to shout, "TREASON! TREASON! TREASON!"

Zazu swooped low by my ear. "Sire, the law dictates that the king must do what the majority wants!" I choked back a sob.

Sarafina was never a tyrant to me. Just—I don't know what's gotten into her.

"I…I hereby punish Sarafina with treason. And…sentence her to death."

I swore I hear Nala's voice yelling, "NO!"

All of a sudden, in the midst of all the cheering, a dark blur shot across to Sarafina and I. Scar.

"Your majesty, may I please beg you to stop the execution!" he practically begged, shoving himself at my feet. I exchanged glances with Zazu.

Scar never begged. Or acted inferior to anybody. So naturally I got suspicious.

"So, you have been conspiring with Sarafina to take over the throne?"

SARAFINA'S POV

Oh, no. This was going wrong. If possible, Simba reared up taller. I was distracted by how much he had grown since the jungle.

"Um, yes. I mean, no. He forced me. He said if I didn't help him then he would kill Nala," I stuttered, spitting the truth.

Simba narrowed his eyes. The hyenas got ready.

RAFIKI'S POV

"Shtop! Shtop, your Majesty!" I cried. "Dere has been a mishtake!"

Simba stopped his order, halfway out of his mouth.

"Sadafina he-uh has been playing double agent. She pretended to conshpi-uh with Scar but only did it to save your throne. She hid you-uh cub behind dat bush to hide him from Scar," I explained. Gosh, I am horrible at speaking English.

Simba narrowed his eyes, nodding slowly. "That does make sense," he muttered. "Sarafina. Is this true?"

She nodded, tears blurring her eyes. "I'm so sorry Kopa," she murmured, bending down to lick the future king. "I promise that this savage will die!" She hissed at Scar, who looked amused, and pounced. Scar was taken by surprise and was once again eaten on the spot by the hyenas.

SIMBA'S POV

I, this time, double checked to make sure he was dead.

"Sarafina—er, Mom," I said, afterwards. "I'm sorry. It was all a misunderstanding."

She smiled. "It's okay. Besides, you and Nala made a wonderful grandson! When's the daughter coming?"

I groaned.