Author's Note: SLHGOUATTLKFAN; I'm glad you liked Skye. She is pretty important and Simba is going to alright, eventually.

The had risen over the horizon spreading her golden ways, warming the kingdom. In the royal cave on pride rock the king and queen slept, on the royal platform with their pelts brushing against the other. It was very eventful the day before and the job of being king and queen is far from done. But the joys of ruling a kingdom will have to wait. A small gush of wind caused the golden lion to blink his amber eyes open to see two small but very familiar cubs run out of the cave. Mufasa sighed before nuzzling the peachy cream lioness by his side.

"Hmmm..." Nala blinked her eyes open with a yawn before focusing on her mate.

Mufasa looked away towards the cave entrance with a out of place look. "Kiara and Skye..."

He didn't get to finish because Nala bolted out of the cave. With a heavy sigh he rose and slowly followed. Outside the cave the princesses were in awe. Even though it wasn't their first time seeing the Pride Lands but looking at it now means awhole lot more than before. Kiara and her sister was about to leap down the slope when a paw lightly stepped on their tails. The twins groaned before looking up to see their mother looking at them.

"Where do you two think you're going?"

The golden orange cub smiled at her mother with bright amber eyes. "To explore."

Nala smiled lightly. She had been dying for this day to come but as the days went on and the princesses started to grow she had been dreading the day. Simba is still loose and what if he meets the girls and attack. She will never forgive herself. At first she wanted to help him but after receiving word from Zazu and the animals that they seen Simba with Zira more than once. At first she thought nothing of it but now she is thinking that Simba is working with her sister in law. And it's no secret that the pale tan lioness distaste her and her family. So kill her for being cautious.

"We'll be very careful, promise." the pale beige cub grinned up at her mother.

Nala frowned on the inside. The grin reminds her of Simba when they were young. The sound of paws approaching. Nala moved her turquoise eyes from her daughters to the pride's cave to see her son walking out. The dark beige prince stretched before shaking his growing mane. With a smile he walked over to his parents and sisters.

"Who's ready to explore?"

Kiara and Skye cheered causing Kopa to grin widely before it fell at the glare of his mother. The queen sighed before turning her eyes back on her daughters.

"I want to you two to stay near pride rock at all times. Now I have to go. Queen duties await."

After giving her children nuzzles she bounded down the rocky slope just as a dark brown cub and a pale creamy brown cub exited the cave. Kiara grinned before walking over to the new cubs.

"Hi Kovu! Hi Kiburi!"

The brothers smiled at the oldest princess before looking at their brother, they grew to love and look up to. "What are we going to do today?"

Kopa ruffled up the muddy brown tuff on his brother's head with a laugh. "Hang around the water hole. As that's what the queen wants."

Kiara and Skye frowned but Kiara soon perked up when Kovu smiled at her. Skye rolled her eyes. 'Yuck!' The pale beige cub followed her family and friends to the watering hole but when she had gotten the right time, she snuck away.

-O-

Simba was bored. He was tired of waiting around. He wanted to strike and he wanted to strike now. Jonas was still sleep so he had no one to confined his thoughts to. Even though his mind has been ragging with evil thoughts he couldn't disturb his friend from sleeping. The young golden lion sighed before exiting the cave he called home. His cave wasn't on pride lands territory and was quite different from most dens. He had branches sticking out of his walls and he had ledges inside the cave. His land, he hasn't really given it a name yet but wasn't sore for eyes. The land had plenty of prey and water. It was green and beautiful. He wasn't technically king since he didn't have any lionesses but as walked through his land, thoughts of his mother came rushing through his head. He really missed her, he still wonders what would his life would of been like if she was alive. But all of that left his mind when Simba realized that he crossed the border. He was a good way in too, his ears perked at the sound of small giggling.

"Raw!"

In his orange eyes showed a pale beige cub chasing a butterfly. He didn't mean for it to happen but a small smile formed. He laughed lightly as the young lioness hit her head on a rock. She rubbed her head with a light beige colored paw before she moved her bright amber eyes towards him. She must of seen him because a tiny gasp left her little muzzle. He growled when he seen that the cub must of been Mufasa's brat. But the cub continued to look at him in a mix of awe and curiosity.

"Hi. I'm Skye, what's your name?"

Simba debated on latching out, considering that is one of Zira's plan and maybe his a little too but he couldn't lift his paw or let out his claws. So he went with the decent thing to do, which was actually eating his being.

"Simba..."

It was a growl but Skye seemed to not notice. She was more confused than anything. She had heard countless times about how this lion killed Kovu and Kiburi's father. Her parents don't think she knows but she do. That's basically why her mother has been so over bearing with her and her sister. Even though she didn't actually say. She had looked away for a moment to poundered this new finding but when she looked up, the young lion was gone. She sighed heavily before turning to head back to the watering hole before she is noticed that she was gone. But as she made the trek through the plains she couldn't get the lion that everyone feared out of her thoughts. Not aware that a pair of red eyes were watching and ran off, eagerly to report what they seen.