Note: "*" Stands for vocal overlay during singing

Chapter 9
Exile

Immediately upon arrival back at the dome, Dornaus switched from his tank top and leather pants to his dress blues. He wanted to at least look formal when he checked on the king's condition. With a M15 General Officer's Pistol and its holster strapped on his belt along with his Navy Officer's Sword, the human looks himself in the mirror. Everything was perfectly normal and tidy.

He slings his M1 Garand over his shoulder, its distinct white sling evident, and heads towards Pride Rock on his Ford F-150 Raptor; his ATV was too loud and easily dirtied the clothes he wore. In the meantime, Kiara, Timon, and Pumbaa were out in the wild. They had heard the chopper take off and wanted to know what all the fuzz was about. Neither of them anticipated to see the king limping home.

Kiara rushes to her father's side and nuzzles him, feeling great concern for her family member. Timon and Pumbaa were not far behind and they too were shocked at the king's condition. The only words Simba managed to mutter were "Kovu", "Lena", and "Ambush". What did those words mean? Did Kovu and Lena, who were lovers of Kiara and Dornaus respectively, aid in Zira's ambush of the king?

They didn't have time to think. Right now the main objective was to get Simba back to the royal den where he could recuperate from his wounds. Pumbaa puts the body of his pal on his back while Timon takes the tail as the three headed back to Pride Rock. In the meantime back in the canyon, the Outlanders mourned the loss of Nuka, Rafael, and one of the lionesses.

All three of them died valiantly today. Two of them died at the hands of Dornaus but the human had been a thorn to their side ever since day one of their exile, and they were used to that. What caught them by surprise was the betrayal of Lena and Kovu, both of which were raised by Zira herself. She was disappointed and furious that they would turn on the mother who has sacrificed so much to raise them into young adults.

Zira slashes Kovu in the left eye, scaring him in the exact location where Taka's scar was. Now the lion resembled Scar but the lioness did not see him in her son. She sees him as a traitor, an ungrateful brat. Lena raises her M1 Carbine defensively but the other lionesses growl at her, preventing her from shooting their leader.

"What did you do?" she asks the two furiously.

"We did… W-We did…" Kovu suddenly finds the courage to speak up against his own adoptive mother. "We did NOTHING!"

"You did nothing." The lioness turns towards Lena. "She on the other hand shot one of our followers and acted against us. Now if you want to redeem yourself, finish her!"

"No one's touching Lena. Not when I'm around."

"You've caused the death of your own brother, and you're not willing to redeem yourself? You are a traitor to our pride and to Scar!"

"I am not affiliated with Scar! And Nuka is NOT my brother. Nor are you… my mother."

Without even saying goodbye, Kovu takes Lena with him and runs off into the wild. The surviving members of Zira's pride attempt to give chase but she stands them down. Her target was not her own son and she would rather use her entire force to seize the throne by force than to eliminate two individuals whom she still had some form of emotional connection.

Back near the entrance of the royal den, Dornaus was cleaning Simba's wound as he rested. At the side of the king was his daughter Kiara and mate Nala. Both of them were extremely concerned for the ruler, who had been ambushed by the Outlanders while going on a walk with Lena and Kovu. The male human didn't believe that his female counterpart would turn on the monarchy but the truth seemed obvious.

Secretly he took his hand-held lie detector with him since gut feeling told him that the two would return to Pride Rock. And indeed they returned. Every single resident of the Pridelands had gathered near Pride Rock to give moral support for their king and they shot the two "traitors" angry and hostile looks. Kiara runs up Pride Rock to greet her lover but her husband growls at her and pushes her aside.

His bodyguard knew what was coming and quickly unslings his M1 Garand and places the weapon on his right shoulder, his right hand holding the stock of the gun. When Simba wasn't watching, he switches the lie detector on. The results were fed onto the wrist mounted display, which also doubled as a digital watch.

"Why have you come back?" the king asks the two.

"Simba, I had nothing to do with…" Kovu attempts to explain.

"You don't belong here!"

"Please, we ask for your forgiveness." Lena said.

"Daddy please, listen to them." Kiara pleads.

"Silence!" Simba turns his attention back on Kovu. "When you came here you asked for judgment. And I pass it now, for both you and your adoptive sister."

Dornaus glares at his wrist display. Both Kovu and Lena have passed the test and their pleas of innocence did sound legitimate enough. And other telltale signs like facial expressions and tone of voice suggested that they were telling the truth.

"Dornaus." The king spoke. "The new law which you suggested has passed. All traitors and spies are to be executed. You know your order."

"Negative." He replies. "This is one order that I will NOT comply."

Silence filled the air as the Pridelanders nearly dropped their jaws in shock. So far, the bodyguard who has been employed since Mufasa's reign has never disobeyed anyone who took power legitimately. Why was he defying orders now?

"This is a royal order we're talking about." Simba reminds.

"You are judging them because you THOUGHT they were involved." Dornaus explains. "And you've given them no chance to explain themselves or to prove innocence. Is this how justice works?"

"They are OUTLANDERS! They do not belong here!"

"So we're just going to kill them?"

"It's the law."

"You're bending the laws, my lord. They must be proven traitors or spies."

"I HAVE PROVEN THEM! They aided in the ambush! Now do as I say!"

"Well then, if that's the case." The human slings his rifle over his shoulder. "I shall resign my duties."

Simba's eyes widen in shock when he heard what his bodyguard said. Kiara and her mother both looked at each other for a few moments before turning back towards the human. He never once indicated that he would resign, and he seemed rather happy with his position as a royal bodyguard.

"I cannot and will not tolerate a society like this." Dornaus continues. "The Navy has sent me a letter, asking me to return. I thought about not returning but with a paranoid king, I see no use in my being here."

The Pridelanders could only watch in shock as Dornaus draws his M15 General Officer's pistol and headed down the path. He takes Lena along with him while pointing his pistol at the king. It was his way of showing that he meant business. Both humans hopped into the Ford F-150 Raptor and left for the Dome. They had a lot of packing to do, and Dornaus needed to fill up the papers to allow him to transfer some of his firearms back to the US.

Without his bodyguard to perform the executions, Simba has no choice but to enforce his father's old law. He sentences Kovu to permanent exile, much to the dismay of his daughter. The Pridelanders begin to sing an old tune to signal the exile of an individual. It had been written by Rafiki during Mufasa's reign and had become a law for everyone to sing the particular song as they pressured the individual to leave the Pride Lands.

Everyone: (sings)
Deception
Disgrace
Evil as plain as the scar on his face

Zebras: (sing)
Deception
An Outrage

Giraffes: (sing)
Disgrace
For shame

Hippo: (sings)
He asked for trouble the moment he came

Zebras: (sing)
Deception
*An outrage/He can't change his stripes

Giraffes: (sing)
Disgrace
*For shame/You know these outsider types

Everyone: (sings)
Evil as plain as the scar on face
*See you later agitator
Deception
*An outrage/Just leave us alone
Disgrace
*For shame/traitor, go back with your own!

Hippo: (sings)
He asked for trouble the moment he came
*See you later agitator

Everyone: (sings)
Born in grief
Raised in hate
Helpless to defy his fate
Let him run
Let him live
But do not forget
What we cannot forgive

And he is not one of us
He has never been one of us
He is not part of us
Not our kind

Someone once lied to us
Now we're not so blind
For we knew he would do what he's done

Resident: (sings)
He is not one of us

Antelope: (sings)
Deception

Zebra: (sings)
Disgrace

Antelope: (sings)
Deception

Zebra: (sings)
Disgrace

Antelope: (sings)
Deception

By the time the residents have finished singing, Kovu was miles away from Pride Rock. He reaches a small pond and sees Scar in his own reflection. Horrified, he runs off further and further away from the Pridelands. Now not only did his original Pride reject him, but the royals do as well. He had no home to turn to, and now had to live alone in the wild with no one by his side.