I'm very happy with this chapter, especially after spending most of this weekend polishing it up for Labor Day, so I hope you guys like it. It's 14 pages in a Word document. Also, I have to give a shout out to AtomicIceCream of deviantART for beta reading this.

Remember to leave a review, please! I worked super-duper hard on this one!

This is the last chapter in part 2.

"Chaka, please calm down..."

Kiara watched anxiously as her brother paced the length of the den. The other lionesses were watching from the inner ledges of the den. They fidgeted nervously as Chaka growled, "Know what I think happened? Natin's taken them someplace. I didn't listen to my gut. He lied to us through his teeth, Kiara, and we ate it up! Do you know how much that upsets me?"

Kiara pulled a face. It's nearly sunrise, and they didn't return in the evening. Did they actually run away from home?

Kiara vaguely remembered seeing Natin and Asuma returning very late the previous night but hadn't seen them since. She had sent Tanga on an errand to Tswane's tree to pick up Asuma's special herbs. True to her word to Suki, she had suggested to an eager Neo and Isabis to chase after Tanga so they could go with her. She had watched from afar as Tanga had looked upset, but had left with the cubs. Somehow, Asuma's herbs had turned up, but Tanga had not.

"Bet Vitani isn't even dead. Natin- he has to be in with Kovu!" Chaka was shaking his head bitterly. "He's his mother's son."

"Stop this, Chaka. Use this energy instead to think out our next move." Kiara sighed. "It's not like them at all to do this to us, and we should have started searching once we realized that."

"They don't want to be found," muttered Chaka.

"Kiara!"

The tired queen turned to see Suki as she climbed down from the ledge with Neo and Isabis right behind her. Stopping in front of Kiara, Suki said, "My cubs have something to say to you." At this, the young mother looked sternly down at her cubs.

Both cubs lowered their ears and avoided her impatient gaze.

"Tell Queen Kiara what you told me. The game is over."

"What game?" Kiara asked, narrowing her eyes.

Suki started to explain when they remained mute. "I was wondering why they were so quite today, and when I asked them why just now, they told me Tanga taught them to play a game of silence while she watched them yesterday afternoon. Kiara, my children were the last to see the princess and princes.

Chaka's presence near Kiara made her uncomfortable when he came to listen. She said, "How do you know they were the last to see them?"

"They watched her leave. Tswane brought them home."

Chaka growled and towered over Isabis and Neo when he said sharply, "What do you two have to say? Obviously this is very important. Give me details."

The cubs stared nervously at each other before Neo nodded to his sister.

"Well... When we got to Tswane's big tree, we saw Natin talkin' with Asuma- they were already there, y'see?" Isabis spoke up. "Tanga wanted us to stay behind and hide so she could go spy on her brother and Natin. I wanted to go, but she told me to stay. I don't think they saw her, she was so sneaky. Then, uh, we saw Tswane come down from his huge tree that Tanga didn't want me to climb to talk to Natin and Asuma for a little while. They left really fast after that, and Tswane was wavin' to them like he was sayin' good-bye... like for a long good-bye. Tanga came back for us, and she looked really worried. She said we were gonna sit there for a while, so we waited for a while, like she said, before she-she-she, uh... well, she brought us closer to the tree and asked Tswane to get Asuma's herbs for her. While he was up in the tree, she told us to stay with Tswane so he could bring us back home, which he did, and to keep playing our game, our game of silence, for as long as possible. Then Tanga ran off in the direction of where Natin and Asuma went... I think. And Tswane brought us home, like I said, with the herbs.

"Are we in trouble? Be-be-because Tswane was acting weird, but he didn't tell us anything even though Neo asked, and then I won the game and started a new game," Isabis finished.

"No," Chaka said, his tone gentle enough, "you're not in trouble. Thank you for telling us this."

Neo asked, "Is Tswane in trouble because we told you?"

Chaka shook his head.

The cubs beamed up at Chaka, but one glare for their mother wiped the smiles away. Suki told her cubs the adults needed privacy. "I'm sorry, I didn't know sooner," Suki said, her ears pinned against her skull. "Is there anything I can do? ...There must be something..."

Kiara nodded. "We'll need to rally tracking parties. Could you organize the lionesses, Suki? Tell our best trackers what we'll be doing. Natin and my children must be far away by now, but we must try. I'll go and see Tswane about this."

"Yes, my queen, I'll do my best."

Through his clenched teeth, once Suki had walked away, Chaka snarled to Kiara under his breath, "Your cubs have never gotten a proper beating in their lives. They'll wish they'd stayed at home..."

Kiara had opened her mouth to defend her children, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She was just as angry at herself and Natin as Chaka was. What was Natin up to exactly? Is he really an agent for Kovu or even his mother? And if he is, what plans does he have for Tanga and Asuma?"

"Aren't you coming, Kiara?"

She was snapped from her thoughts by Chaka, who was frowning over his shoulder at her. He was beginning to walk toward the mouth of the cave.

Kiara looked around. The lionesses weren't ready yet.

"You are planning on going to Tswane's tree soon, right?" Chaka asked her.

"I was hoping to do it alone," Kiara replied irritably, walking over to him, "but if he knows anything you might as well hear it, too, the first time."

"Let's go then. Those lionesses can handle themselves. Suki'll keep them in line."

Kiara was a little unsure of putting the meek Suki totally in charge, but when she looked over her shoulder it seemed like Suki was doing perfectly. The lionesses were already split into several small groups, each headed by one lioness with better tracking skills than the rest. Kiara smiled approvingly.

"Okay, let's go," she agreed. Maybe there's more to Suki than I thought. All she needs is a little encouragement.

At first Chaka had kept a fair pace, but before long Kiara was struggling for breath and falling behind. She was lightheaded when she arrived to find Chaka yelling up at the branches of Tswane's tree to get the young mandrill's attention.

'Tswane! Tswane, don't hide from your king!" Chaka roared and paced in circles, kicking up dust. When Tswane didn't appear immediately, he leaped up onto the tree trunk and started to attempt to climb it.

"Cha...Cha...Chaka! Get... down from there!" Kiara panted. "It... Not helpful..."

He only climbed higher. "Tswane, where are Asuma and Natin?"

"Get off my tree and I'll tell you!"

Kiara squinted, but she couldn't see the mandrill yet. It was too dark. "Chaka get down!"

"I'll do as I please!" Chaka reached to pull himself up farther. With a grunt, he slipped a few lengths, only to go on with more determination.

"He doesn't want you to rip his head off, if that's what you please!" Kiara rolled her eyes and grimaced. Her brother was acting like a hot-tempered, spoiled cub. "He'll come out of hiding when you start acting reasonable again. It's too high for you to climb, you'll hurt yourself."

"Do as Queen Kiara says! It would not bother me one bit to throw sticks and rocks at you!" Tswane's voice warned.

"Fine." Chaka's muscles shuddered before he leaped back from the scarred-up old tree. He continued to pace below, a growl rumbling in his throat. "I'm on the ground now!"

Tswane poked his head out and looked down at them to see if it were true. "I'll stay up here, if you don't mind. Lions tend to be ill-tempered when they hear worse news."

"Worse news?" Kiara frowned. "Please, tell us where my cubs and Natin have gone? Isabis and Neo couldn't tell us why they left."

"And if you lie, so help me-"

"Is that anyway to treat your pride's shaman, Chaka?" Tswane shook Rafiki's old walking stick at the big lion. "Without my mentor and I, you wouldn't even be here."

Chaka only snarled.

"Where are they, Tswane?" Kiara urged.

"Right..." Tswane took a moment to collect his thoughts. "The two princes have left on their own because they needed the time to get away from the Pride Lands," Tswane told them. "Because you are reacting exactly as they thought you would."

Chaka growled through his teeth, "Where are they? Why the secrecy? Why would I need to 'react'?"

Kiara held her breath as Tswane said, "They have gone to confront Kovu."

Tswane ducked and covered his ears with his paws while Kiara flinched at Chaka's roar.

"I knew it! And you!"

"Chaka..." Kiara gasped and back-stepped away from her brother as he turned on her and started advancing. She felt the blood rush from her face. When Zira had taken her over the side of the cliff she hadn't been as scared as she was just then. She was already afraid for her cubs and the situation she thought they were in, and it didn't help at all when the thought occured to her that Chaka might not hesitate to harm her. She had to remind herself how he'd been raised in a different pride than her and had lived the life of a rogue. Memories of his attack on Kovu years before also flashed in her mind. And Mother isn't here to keep you in check...

Chaka bumped his nose into hers. "You were the one who sent that mate of yours into exile. I lost an eye because of him. Now he's coming for us."

"We don't know that, Chaka." Kiara glared back, though she was shaking.

"Okay, then," Chaka sneered. He turned away and tilted his head up towards Tswane, who was perched out in the open with his staff at the ready in case he had to intervene. He came to attention as Chaka addressed him. "Start from the beginning, monkey. What's coming?"

"Kovu has been living in exile with a band of restless lionesses who took him into their pride. They have an agreement: they will be allowed to live in the Pride Lands once Kovu has beaten you, Chaka. Natin convinced Kovu to let him come home under the assumption that the prince would spy on the pride. Natin told your son that Kovu was a threat to us all, and was able to recruit the prince into confronting Kovu on his own territory."

Kiara gasped. "What do you mean? Confronting?" Her face flushed with anger. What was Natin thinking?

"I'm fuzzy on the details... but..." Tswane paused. "It may mean exterminating Kovu completely, as that is the feeling I had when they spoke. They made it clear to me they wanted somebody to know what happened in the event they were unable to return. They would've left a day ago, but I was away from home taking care of some sick little ones in a herd of elephants. They couldn't find me and waited for my return this morning."

That's why they returned so late... Kiara's legs felt weak, and she swayed. "My son... It's a suicide mission, isn't it? For the pride?"

But Chaka was growling. To her, he sneered, "Don't you see the problem with Natin's master 'plan'? Why does he need Asuma to kill Kovu, if that is their intention? Why didn't he do it before instead of making a mess of things?"

Kiara felt her jaw go slack. "I... I don't know..." Her blood rushed away from her face. "Maybe he was too scared to do it himself? Kovu's lion-"

"And Asuma is going to help him... how? I don't mean to be blunt, Kiara, but you must know by now how I fear for this pride when it's his time to take our place. Your son is a miserable coward, and he's been like that since the day I saved him from those wild dogs. How can those qualities make for a good king?"

Kiara raised a paw to strike her so-called brother but she stopped herself when he growled and Tswane called her name prevent her from acting in a way that she would come to regret later. She curled her lip at Chaka. "How dare you speak to me like that, Chaka. And you know how much Kovu's actions impacted him, the things he did to our own flesh and blood! It traumatized him!"

Chaka's whole body tensed. "Do you think you're such a good mother yourself?" he retorted scathingly. "Did I not advise you to tell your cubs everything? But instead, you turned a deaf ear, and now look at where we are! You let someone else tell Asuma the truth, and I'm sure Tanga knows by know if she met up with them. We should have acted. You should have told them the truth. That's probably half of Asuma's problem, and I don't think he'll ever be well again, especially after this!"

Kiara's breath caught inside of her chest, her heart thundering in her ears. Chaka stood there, glaring at her for several minutes more before he stalked past her and took off running.

She was hardly aware of Tswane's presence next to her, and didn't notice he'd placed his paw on her shoulder until he'd said her name several times.

"His words have hurt you."

Her eyes stung. Nodding, she said, "I wasn't surprised at all, but it still hurts."

Tswane patted her shoulder.

"He's right. I've failed at being a mother, and now I'm never going to see my cubs again." She then flinched and looked Tswane in the face. "And Tanga? Isabis... Neo... They said she ran after my son and nephew, and left them with you to take them home."

"Ah, I see." Tswane scratched his head. "I saw her running in that direction."

Kiara frowned. She did her best to keep the disapproval out of her voice, but it was pointless. "And you didn't stop my daughter?"

"Your son and nephew are planning to put blood on their paws. I felt Tanga would be able to convince them and Kovu to change their plans. Natin and Asuma have already accepted her presence, otherwise she would be here right now to explain herself. She wouldn't waste her time looking if she couldn't track them."

Kiara did her best to register what Tswane was saying. She was scared out of her mind for her children, and she dreaded seeing Chaka later and dealing with his frustration. She was sure he was back at the den by now stirring everybody up. This is all my fault... I shouldn't have sent Kovu into exile. There's going to be a war if Kovu keeps his plans... or remains alive. She shuddered at this. And what about the lionesses who took him in? What will happen to them if Natina and Asuma succeed, and just how dangerous are they?

"Haven't you heard anything from the spirits?" Kiara asked then.

The mandrill shook his head and turned his face up to the sky, which was beginning to pale to the east. "They are silent. These times make me wonder what Rafiki would do if he were still here." The young mandrill's shoulders drooped a little. "I'm uncertain if I've made the right choices."

Kiara lowered her ears. She was upset with him for enabling such young lions to take on a task for the sake of the pride that she wouldn't even ask of herself, but they had also gone to Tswane and put him into a terribly tricky position. She sighed. "Nobody is perfect, Tswane," she told him, trying to smile.

Tswane smiled back. "Thank you, my Queen."

Kiara nodded and tried to hold the smile for a little longer. But soon, more tears than before welled up in her eyes. Her smile turned into a grimace and the tears spilled down her cheeks. A sob choked her. Tswane quickly wrapped his arms around the grieving lioness, patting her back. She waited for him to give her some words of encouragement, but they both must have known that merely listening to someone's words would solve nothing if the meaning behind them wasn't believable.

MMMMMMMMMMMM

"Tanga! Tanga! Wait for us! Hey, wait!"

The young lioness had cringed and looked over her shoulder to see Isabis and Neo run up to her. Sent to take care of her mother's errand, she hadn't left from Pride Rock fast enough.

"Does your mother know where you are?" she'd asked the young cubs.

"Sure, your mother said we should follow you!" Isabis had piped happily as she spun in circles. "Look, she's up there on Pride Rock with your mother right now."

Sure enough, the two lionesses had been standing at the tip of Pride Rock, at a safe distance. Tanga had felt cheated then, and was tempted to tell the cubs no. She'd flicked her tail in irritation, wondering what to do.

"Is it okay if we go with you, Tanga?" Neo had asked, tilting his head to the side. "I've never seen Tswane's tree before. Is it big?"

Tanga had sighed. "Yes, it's very big, Neo..."

"Cool! Please? Can we go? Oh, can we go with you? Tanga, please?"

"Yes, please, Tanga?"

The day before, as Tanga had recalled, her mother had asked her to spend some time with Neo. Kiara had wanted her daughter to find a way to boost his confidence, as a favor to Suki. With the cubs practically forced upon her, she couldn't just say no to one of the cubs and leave the other behind. Neo didn't deserve to be punished and neglected only because the thought of spending time with his sister, and best friend, made her skin crawl. Both would have to go with her to Tswane's if she wanted to help Neo. She'd hoped that the next time Isabis could be left behind.

Tanga had again looked up at Pride Rock. Suki and her mother had disappeared from view, and had probably moved into the den to wait out the rest of the morning. Thoughtful, she'd guessed they'd had a great amount of confidence in her that she'd do as she'd been told, and soon after, she'd realized they were dropping Neo's 'problems' into her lap. Her stomach had begun to hurt then, and the more she'd lingered on the thought, the more it had bothered her how her mother had been more concerned about someone else's cub... when Asuma needed the support from their neglectful pride... a pride she'd guessed had fears that little Neo would end up like Asuma, who's temperament had been similar to Neo's when he was younger. She likened Asuma then to a cautionary tale, and she also guessed that Suki was trying to intervene early before Neo became a problem, too. He was going to be brother to Asuma's future queen, after all.

"Tanga...? We don't have to go if you don't wanna take us along..."

"No, why wouldn't she want to, silly?"

Tanga remembered that she'd tried hard to not make a face. She had turned her attention to the cubs and found them looking up at her with eager, hopeful looks on their faces. She'd deeply considered refusing to take them in order to send a message to her mother and Suki, but she softened when she remembered fondly how she'd asked her father so many times to go hunting, only to have her hopes dashed again and again. She had thought then how much it'd mattered to her to spend time with her father, and she'd known how much she was adored by Neo and Isabis. Because of this, she'd said yes.

She also remembered thinking, even as Isabis refused to listen to her that climbing Tswane's tree was too dangerous, while also being called a scaredy-cub, the main reason why she'd gotten the idea to play a game of silence with them, that she only had to deal with them to Tswane's tree and back. It was going to be simple enough...

Little had I known... she thought to herself, her limbs aching from lack of rest for an entire day. But now I need answers...

Why would they say that Daddy was still alive?

Why has Daddy been away all this time if he really is alive?

Why did Mother and Chaka say he was killed by rogues?

Why did Asuma and Natin sneak off alone like this?

Is this why Natin said he was forbidden to talk with Asuma?

Jogging along on some of the flatest, scabbiest land she'd ever come across, Tanga snarled softly under her breath and vigorously shook her stinging paw. With only a quick glance at first, she tried to find the thorn stuck between her toes, but it was too dark to see it. The thorn had first begun to bother her a few miles back. Groaning, she had no choice but to stop and chew at her paw. She couldn't afford to lose ground because of a little thorn. They can't be far off now, she thought. She didn't want to waste more time than necessary, because the harder she pressed on, the stronger and fresher their scents and paw prints were becoming. Thankfully, without much difficulty, she was able to quickly pull the thorn out of her sore paw. She spit it onto the ground in triumph.

Yes, little had she known what would come out of a simple trip to Tswane's tree for Asuma's herbs.

Her nose was to the ground, her jaws parted. She knew they were somewhere nearby. As she started off again, she also noticed how the impressions from their paws were growing sloppier, as if they were dragging their paws. Not long now... they haven't even stopped to go to the bathroom! They have to rest sometime. Surely enough, she delighted in finding them less than a mile away. Asuma was sitting upright with his head drooping forward while Natin was sleeping partially on his back.

As she snuck up on them quietly at first, she tried not snicker at the sight.

Am I the only one who knows where you guys are right now besides Tswane?

She was a few good lengths away when Asuma's head snapped up. He looked around furiously for the intruder, growling to wake up Natin, before they spotted her. She limped up to them, smiling tiredly.

"You!" Asuma growled.

The unfriendliness in his voice startled her. "Yes, it's me, who'd you expect?"

"Why- What-?" Asuma continued to stammer.

"Tanga, you should have stayed home," Natin said sternly, frowning in disapproval.

She raised a brow. "Why would I stay home? I heard what you said to Tswane." She watched as their eyes widened. She smirked as she said, "Tell me everything. Why is Father still alive and where are you going?"

Asuma was shaking his head. "It's a lot more complicated than that. Really, how much did you hear?"

"Well, suppose I heard all of it, then what?"

"Then nothing," Asuma snapped.

Saying nothing at first, Natin looked over his shoulder at her brother. Again, Asuma was shaking his head when Natin turned to her and said, "Tanga, go home. I can't give you those answers, not now."

"Why not? And do they know you're gone? Where you're going? They don't, do they?"

"Tswane knows, but he's it, and it's going to stay that way when you go home."

Tanga frowned at her brother. Now he was standing in front of her, and despite the shadowy appearance of his face, she could guess he was glaring at her.

"Look," he continued. "I just want to keep you safe. It would be better if you went back home. You had no business following us like this. Just listen to me for once."

"And is this about the time when Natin tackles me to the ground?"

"What?"

She thought for a moment before she glared at Asuma. "This has to do with the day you two were acting weird. I have a feeling it does! You didn't want me to know something, and I didn't understand why. I remember now... and then Mother told us that Father was dead, but you two know that he's really alive. Why is that? I thought you were trying to protect me from hearing the news about his death before Mother had a chance to explain it, b-b-but she lied to us, didn't she?" When Asuma's expression only grew harsher, she spat, "Didn't she!" Her body was trembling. "Why would she wanna lie to us, Asuma?"

Neither of them spoke for the longest time. Natin had a troubled look on his face. Tanga tried to calm down, but the longer they took to respond, her agitation increased.

"Coming with us or not, Asuma, she deserves to-"

"No. No."

"At least tell me why you left the Pride Lands," she begged.

"No. We can't do that either."

Her face was burning. "I'll make Mother tell me why she lied... I'd much rather hear it from you, though. You wouldn't lie to me... would you?"

Asuma flinched. "I've been lying to you all this time, Tanga! I was forbidden to tell you, and I'll keep it that way."

"But I'm still gonna follow you."

"You'll slow us down, and we can't take you with us. I guarantee you there will be danger."

"She'll slow us down no matter what," Natin grumbled. "What are we gonna do? Drag her back home? Unconscious? That'll take too much time. She's already come this far."

Asuma railed on Natin. "Why are you so eager to bring her with us, hmmm? Do you want to endanger her life?"

Natin frowned deeply. "Asuma, she's still the same ol' Tanga. Do you expect any less out of her?" He then came closer to Asuma and started whispering something that was too quick and low for her to catch, though she took a couple steps forward and cocked her ears. Asuma's responses were the same way.

"Tanga?"

She straightened up when they turned back to her. "Yes?"

Asuma looked unhappy as Natin said, "We're going to tell you why we've left the Pride Lands, and everything else, but you have to promise to go back home once we've told you."

Tanga grimaced. "Must I?"

Natin nodded. "It's for your own protection, Lewa."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, I promise."

She could never have prepared herself for what they told her. That her father had been the one responsible for Simba's death... that he had killed once and had been so easily prepared to take more lives after... that he had become so lost and disillusioned and was now preparing to do it all again because he thought he was doing it for his family. She was silent until the end.

"I don't believe you."

Natin shrugged and shook his head. "But... given your father's past-"

"He changed for Mother!"

"Face it Tanga," Asuma spat. "He's not who you think he is. He fooled us. Don't you remember how distant he was the day we went hunting by ourselves? He must have already been in contact with Zira. And if what Vitani told Natin is accurate, then he was already up to something."

"Well... what if Vitani was lying, too?"

Natin snarled, his lip twitching. "My mother would never lie."

Tanga glared back. "You said she helped him, didn't you?"

Natin opened his mouth, the dark expression on his face frightening her. Asuma intervened before he had the chance to say anything.

"Look! We don't know what they were all thinking, and we can't know because everybody immediately involved but Kovu has died!"

"You know," Tanga remarked, "you keep calling him 'Kovu' instead of 'Father'."

"Well would you call a lion who wanted you dead 'Father'?"

Tanga flinched and said nothing.

"Point is," Natin began, his tone shrill and uneasy, "Kovu is dangerous and needs to be stopped. Asuma and I are going to do it."

"Do what? Just how are you going to stop him?"

A chill ran down her spine when they hesitated to answer her. The answer should have been quicker, she knew that much. Natin said to her, "We're going to try and negotiate."

She swallowed. "I don't believe you..."

Neither of them answered her again. Natin's expression softened and his ears lowered. Asuma glared down at the ground.

Her courage drained from her body. "Please tell me you're not planning..."

For several beats, they both stared at the ground like guilty cubs. Natin glanced at Asuma as he quietly said, "Catches on quick, don't she?"

Tanga flinched.

"Stop that, Natin," Asuma snapped. "Don't joke now."

"Just stating a fact."

"Well, if it's any consolation... I believe you two are incapable of doing... that."

"Whether you believe we're incapable or not," Asuma retorted, his jaw tensing up, "we're the only ones who can do it."

She hated the way her brother was glaring at her, like he thought she was too thick-headed for her own good. But they were the ones who were being thick-headed, and she was half-tempted to try smacking some sense into them. Sure, they had already told her that her father's lionesses were dangerous and that the pride would be wiped out if it all narrowed down to a battle, but was Kovu's murder the only answer?

"And now the both of you expect me to just turn around... and hope you come back home?" Her sight blurred.

Slowly, Natin nodded. "Yes... that's basically it."

Miserably, she frowned down at her paws, a deep crinkle between her eyes.

"This is why we wanted to protect you, Lewa."

She sniffed softly and blinked hard to try and contain her tears. I shouldn't have asked for the truth.

Asuma cleared his throat. "It's going to be light soon, we should keep moving."

"We're about a hard day's run from Kovu, but it would be pointless for us to start now," Natin replied quietly. "We should rest a little longer."

"If we fall asleep, we're waking up sore."

"Think of your sister, Asuma."

Tanga looked up at them. Natin didn't look happy, but she heard the reasoning in his voice.

"She needs to rest, and so do we. We'll be exhausted if we keep up this pace," Natin told Asuma. "Not to mention you need me as your guide, and I'm not moving."

Asuma said nothing, but curled his lip at Natin's remark.

"C'mon, aren't you tired? And look at Tanga."

Asuma eyed her and after a moment he nodded once reluctantly. "Fine. We'll rest."

Tanga watched as Asuma muttered he'd take the first shift as sentry again and went off a few lengths. Natin was watching over his shoulder as well when she told him thank you.

He nodded curtly as he hunkered down. "Best try and get as much sleep as possible."

"I don't know how I'm gonna fall asleep," she whispered as she did the same. She was about a tail length away from Natin.

"Will you be alright, heading back to the Pride Lands on your own?"

"Well, it would be rude of me to ask you to bring me home, wouldn't it?" she said, putting her chin on her paws. "I'd only be prolonging the inevitable."

Natin's face pinched into a grimace. "I know you don't understand what-"

"Please don't explain it to me, again, Natin," she stopped him, closing her eyes. "I guess it's just too complicated for me to understand."

She rolled away so her back was turned on him. If he had any reaction, she didn't hear it or see it.

MMMMMMMMMMMM

Maybe it's me who'll find Simba's killer, to make him pay for what he's done? I don't see how anyone could be so cruel. Grandfather never hurt anyone."

"Revenge is never the answer, Asuma. It only hurts more than the initial act did."

"But... but there's gotta be justice... He's a murderer, isn't he? Murder is the worst..."

He hadn't fallen asleep so quickly in moons. On sentry duty, he was too exhausted to stay awake. After years of nightly doses of Tswane's herbs, he fell straight into a nightmare. He could have asked Tswane to give him herbs to travel with... but he hadn't.

When he first became aware of himself in the dream, he was chasing after a rogue, who was trying to move along quickly as he dragged along a heavy body in the slick mud. The mud squished between Asuma's claws as he struggled for traction. He couldn't tell yet who the rogue was due to the shadowy nature of the fiend... but he had an idea. Beyond the hard rainfall, he could smell blood.

"Please, show me mercy!" the rogue cried out. A crack of thunder sounded overhead. "P-please?"

Asuma was only a few steps away from getting a clear look at the rogue's shadowy face. "Why? You weren't gonna show me mercy. You left me to die!" he yelled back.

Suddenly, the shadows lifted and Asuma could see Kovu's face clearly. He could also see the body. Asuma jumped back at the sight of his grandfather, mangled and gray at Kovu's paws. He gagged and fought hard not to vomit, a shiver jarring his body. He turned his face away, but he could still clearly smell the rank stench of rotting flesh.

"I couldn't let you give me away," Kovu sneered.

Asuma dared to look back.

Kovu's eyes flashed about him, and he was jumpy. He didn't give Asuma more than a few seconds of eye contact as he added, "You would've been the death of me."

"But I was just a cub! These are just dreams!"

Kovu laughed, his face contorting. Asuma grimaced at the sight of the dark-furred lion. He was something else. "Just dreams?" Kovu paused to laugh again. "You know there must be more to these repeating dreams."

Asuma glared hard a Kovu, his face pinched. "I hate you!" he cried. "When I needed you most... an-and then you went and did this!" He couldn't make himself look directly at his grandfather. "I hate you for what you did to me!"

Kovu was smirking. "But is all of that worth killing me...? You won't do it."

Asuma's whole body was burning, his vision blurred. "You'll see. I'll make sure that you're gone for good. For Mother, for Grandfather and Grandmother, for Vitani, for Tanga, and for Zazu."

"And for you, too? And Natin?"

"I hate you..." Asuma hissed. "You'll see."

"That'll be the day." Kovu smiled and bent down to start dragging Simba again.

Asuma didn't stop him, only turning his head away in disgust.

"Asuma! Asuma!"

He was jerked out of his sleep. Squinty-eyed and tense, he looked up at Natin, who had been shaking him awake.

"They're coming, Tanga needs to move. Now."

It was midday. "What do you mean, Natin?" he grumbled.

"While you were sleeping," Natin growled, then quickly explained, "I smelled them this morning and went ahead to scout. Your father and his lionesses are coming this way. They're on the move to the Pride Lands."

Asuma looked over at his sister. She was still sleeping soundly.

"We don't have much time then, do we?"

Natin shook his head. He walked over to Tanga and nudged her shoulder with his muzzle. Her eyes slowly opened.

"What are you doing?" she muttered. "Stop that."

Asuma frowned. He knew Tanga must have been exhausted from chasing them, but the dullness in her green eyes worried him. He felt a pain in his stomach, which had been happening frequently since Natin had first returned to the Pride Lands.

"Are you feeling alright, Lewa?" Natin held his nose to her cheek.

"Hmmm? I feel fine," Tanga insisted as she pushed herself to sit upright. They both noticed how she'd flinched and raised one of her paws.

Natin sighed in frustration. "You're warm. And I wanna see you put weight on that paw of yours."

She barely pressed on her paw before she gasped in pain and lifted it again. "I pulled out a thorn not long before I found you. Part of it must still be in my paw. It hurts so much!"

"Stay here a moment." Natin bumped into Asuma with his shoulder. "You, now."

They went out of earshot from Tanga. Natin looked worriedly at the young lioness as he whispered, "I don't think we can leave her behind."

Asuma growled. "What's the alternative? Bring her to a dangerous killer?"

"I don't like it at all, but what choice do we have? She's sick, and she can't run away. Kovu and his lionesses are going to realize we're here any moment now, and his head lioness is going to come for us. The others have never passed up a chance to chase a sick animal."

"Why are they on the move anyway?"

Natin was shaking his head in irritation. "They must have gotten sick of waiting for me to return. With or without me, Kovu said he would return to the Pride Lands."

Asuma looked over at Tanga once more. She was lying down now as she licked her paw, wincing when her tongue ran over the tender spot. As much as he hated it, he knew he couldn't just abandon her. "She won't last out here on her own, will she?"

Natin shook his head. "No."

Asuma grimaced. "Fine, we'll bring her with us. How far away is Kovu now?"

"Not too far." Natin's nostrils flared and he looked over across the plains. "I can just see them coming over there. I'll go meet them."

Natin took off without another word. Asuma squinted in the direction Natin had been looking, and sure enough he could see twenty or so lions walking towards them. They all looked like lionesses, and he tried to see Kovu but couldn't. After a moment, he gave up and walked over to Tanga.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm getting in the way, aren't I?"

Asuma bit his lip and watched as Tanga paused to shiver before she went back to cleaning her paw. "Everything is going to be fine," he told her.

"You know... I was going to honor my promise, but now I can't. I don't like what you're... going to do."

Asuma didn't know how to respond. This is exactly why we told Tswane instead of you, he thought. We don't need a complication like this.

"I'm sorry I followed you, Asuma."

"Don't worry about it." Asuma laid down next to her. "Here, let me look?"

"I can't see anything. It must be infected."

To himself, Asuma grimaced as he helped clean her wound. He hoped for all their sake her injury would heal quickly. He didn't like how much trouble they were getting into already... and they hadn't even met Kovu yet.

"What do you think he's gonna be like, Asuma?"

Asuma did his best to keep his face impassive as he said, "I don't know Tanga. We'll have to wait and see."

Upset Author's Note

Oh boy, I can't believe it took over a month to write 6,600 words in a chapter that's not only written at a professional level on a fan-fiction site where most people never see a story finished (I fully intend to finish this one), but is also written by a human being, not a robot. Weeee!

Getting that out of my system, I really do hope you're still enjoying this free entertainment that I created! I now have 25 people who have this in their favorites, so thank you guys! Now, asking me to update soon is fine, but I already know you guys like it, and I'm not going to forget to update as quickly as possible. And demands upon me do not count as a review, no matter how much you like it, especially when I cannot reply to you at all. 'ON HIATUS' does not mean weekly updates. Regardless, there is PLENTY of other stuff to review. So please, no more of those, okay? I was being snarky on purpose, and I'm normally not like that. kaithnxbaidonthurtme… XD