(A/N: Throws update and runs—blame my classes and teachers. I had a lot of essays and group projects last quarter.)

"Wow, a wildebeest and a zebra, Kiara. And so fast!"

Breathless, Kiara turned to a beaming huntress. They heard the hoots and hollers of the escaping herd that had left behind two poor creatures as a necessary sacrifice. The air stunk of fear and sweat. The job had been easy enough with five able-bodied lionesses. Hunts were always successful when nobody strained a muscle or was kicked.

Kiara laughed. "Tojo's arrival today must've given us an edge."

A bit of the gaiety faded from the huntress's eyes. She glanced away. "You're sure he's coming, right?"

Kiara nodded confidently. "Yes, Tojo will keep his word. Believe me." Seeing the doubt strengthen in the lioness's eyes, Kiara looked away to hide her displeasure and frustration. She opened her mouth, but instead realized there was nothing to be said. If Tojo went against his own word, it would be her fault in the eyes of her pride. A long-winded explanation at that moment would not help her then.

How will I cope if he does not deliver? What if this challenge is too much, what then?

The lioness cleared her throat softly. "Kiara, I didn't mean-" She hesitated, however, when the sound of calling voices distracted them both.

"Kiara! Kiara!"

Several fresh lionesses had arrived to meet them at the kill sites. Kiara and three lionesses had stayed behind to protect and butcher the two kills so that the remains could be brought home. Grinning broadly, the lionesses jogged up to their queen. They looked ready to jump out of their pelts in delight.

"Tojo is early," one of the lionesses reported, "and he brought his son and three lionesses with him!"

Kiara's eyes widened, a little flutter in her chest. She'd expected to see them well after dark, and it was nearing early evening. "Oh! Terrific!" She straightened up and glanced at the now guilty-faced lioness she had been speaking with a moment before. Inwardly, Kiara smirked while the other lionesses began to chatter enthusiastically. Her eyes then turned to the zebra she'd been preparing to work on. Both large carcasses would quickly attract scavengers. They would need every bit they could tear from those bones. She knew Tojo and his group would be tired from their journey. It was only polite to share the spoils of their hunt.

One of the lionesses noticed her queen's reluctance. "Go, we're fine," she said with a smile. For a second, it faltered. "Chaka hasn't returned to Pride Rock yet."

The lionesses around Kiara were terrible at masking their fear. They acted as if Chaka had already offended and chased Tojo away with his temper. The lionesses had calmed down after learning the news of Tojo's promise to come to the Pride Lands, but they were still skittish around her, and Chaka especially. It had helped, Kiara could admit, that Chaka had spent most of his time since roaming around and keeping to himself. Multiple times a day, Kiara had found herself sending wishes to the Great Kings that Chaka's walks were doing him more good than harm.

"Well..." Kiara began, "do you know where he is?"

"Watering hole, I think," someone remarked.

Kiara nodded. With matted and dusty fur, her appearance was a far cry from the respectable, calm leader that she desired to show Tojo she truly was. A swift bath would feel nice. She just hoped that Tojo wouldn't go directly to the watering hole before she could get to Chaka.

"Meet you back at the den." Kiara tried to subdue the rising nervousness in her belly. "Wish me luck?"

The lionesses nodded, a hunger for success lighting up their eyes, and wished her luck.

Walking briskly, Kiara headed to the watering hole. Once she was well away she relieved herself of a heavy, nervous breath. She reminded herself that Tojo was there specifically to advise Chaka, to help him tame his anger. That had been their deal. If anyone could help him, Kiara hoped that she had sought service from the right lion. She thought that Chaka would be able to open up to Tojo.

He's been denied a father figure for most of his life... maybe he'll look up to Tojo and actually listen for a change.

Even as she thought this, Kiara found her hopes sinking, and she struggled to bring them back up. She knew there was a part of Chaka that could listen and empathize with others. She had seen glimpses of that part of him before, but his anger had certainly made the most impact on her and the pride.

How will I keep this pride from falling apart if Chaka can't let go of his anger?

Walking on auto-pilot, Kiara stopped and realized she was at the watering hole. There were a few zebra and gazelle there, and they scattered once they noticed her, leaving behind a young lion. Two conspicuous lions proved to be too much, she guessed. From the rich brown of his mane to the warm glow of his fur, he looked like a miniature version of Tojo. She thought he was younger than her own children. When he noticed her coming towards him, he stopped drinking and dipped his head to her courteously. His posture was rigid, very much unlike how she'd seen Asuma or Natin stand.

"Hello, Queen Kiara," the young lion greeted her. He licked some of the water off his whiskers.

"Hello, Prince Kenyi," she replied, noting his trained, controlled tone. Her eyes took another sweep of the watering hole before she was satisfied that Chaka was no where to be seen. "I hope your journey went well."

"Yes. We made good time."

"Well, my huntresses are bringing back food to the den. You'll be able to rest."

"My father's at Pride Rock," Kenyi told her, almost pointedly before she could even ask the question. "I saw your brother, but he quickly headed off in the opposite direction."

Right now, I don't blame him... I think if it hadn't been so disrespectful, he would have rather said "turned tail" instead of "headed off".

Kiara smiled politely and nodded. Spending little words thanking the young lion, who clearly wanted to be alone, she started to walk towards Pride Rock, before remembering that her fur was a disaster. Irritated, she glanced over her shoulder at Kenyi, who had gone back to lapping up water. With the choice of bothering Kenyi further, or showing up at Pride Rock with filthy fur to meet his elder, she decided the latter of the two was unacceptable.

I bet Tojo told Kenyi everything about Chaka and his attitude... if he didn't see it for himself.

Turning on her paws, she walked a little ways away from Kenyi before slipping into the water and ducking beneath the surface. The water wouldn't be a replacement for a thorough grooming, but it was better than nothing, and as the cool temperature of the water made it past her fur and to her skin, she felt her mind clear. At the surface, she sucked in a deep breath and headed back for the shore to shake out her fur.

"Hey!"

Kiara cringed. Turning slowly, she saw Kenyi frowning at his forelegs and trying to brush off the water spray she'd mistakenly sent his way.

"I'm sorry!" She cautiously stepped towards him. A burst of heat ran up the back of her neck. "I hope I didn't get you too wet. I just didn't want to look like a heathen when I went to greet your father."

The prince rolled his eyes. "It's nothing- I've got five older sisters. When Dad offered, I thought coming here would give me a break. Maybe not."

"I could only imagine." Kiara couldn't help but smile. "Kenyi, I promise not to do that again... Deal?"

Kenyi nodded solemnly. "That would be good."

Still feeling embarrassed about splashing King Tojo's son, Kiara eagerly moved on to the den of Pride Rock. She nodded to Kenyi, assuring him that food would be arriving soon. He nodded and thanked her politely.

Let's put that embarrassment behind me... Kiara jogged towards her home and climbed the rocks that led to the den. By the time she reached the top, she was out of breath, and felt as if the rocks were as big as they'd been when she was little. She looked down behind her, telling herself it was her nerves.

Breath in... breath out... Lift your head. Throw your shoulders back... Don't forget to smile. You're the leader of this pride, and things just haven't been going so well lately...

"What an understatement," she muttered as she strolled towards the den. There, she found Tojo with his bird and the three lionesses she had been informed about. The four lions were busy grooming themselves, and all five pairs of eyes, in addition to the eyes of the two elderly lionesses at the back of the cave, looked up at her when her shadow fell across the floor of the den.

Kiara widened her smile when Tojo stood up and she stepped towards him. Oh, boy...

"Good afternoon, King Tojo."

The golden-furred lion dipped his head. His bird was still on his shoulder. "Same to you, Queen Kiara."

"I was told by your son that your journey went well. That's good to hear."

Tojo nodded again. A small smile started to form on his muzzle, reaching his blue eyes.

"You're not too tired?" Kiara went on. She glanced at the back of the cave when one of the elderly lionesses let out a rough cough. It momentarily distracted the guest lionesses, but soon they had their eyes on her again.

"I'm fine, I've dealt with worse."

Kiara flicked the end of her tail. She'd never been one for formal chit-chat, and she hadn't exactly prepared what she was going to say to Tojo, not imagining that she'd have so many observing her looking so foolish.

Tojo's voice was quiet. "Kiara?"

Her eyes went to his face, and she watched as his eyes darted from her face to the outside world behind her. Ever so slightly, his chin lifted in gesture.

It was all the hint she needed.

Throwing her shoulders back again and turning slightly, she asked, "Tojo, would you like to take a walk with me?" She almost added, "Maybe we'll run into my brother," but thought better of it. Tojo's lionesses didn't need to be reminded that the lion they'd come to help hadn't even shown his face yet.

Tojo nodded, whispered something to his bird, and followed her out of the den, leaving the bird behind. They went cautiously down the rocky side of Pride Rock. When she turned, she found that he was standing on the matted grass, looking back at the large, formidable structure.

"I've forgotten what it's like to sleep with a roof over my head," he mused. "They come in handy when it rains. I remember it being bigger, though."

Kiara chuckled and reminded herself that long ago, Tojo had called the Pride Lands his home, back when her own father and Tojo were small cubs. Still reeling from the scene in the cave, she started to say, "Thanks, Tojo, for suggest-"

Tojo turned back to her, straight-faced. "That's enough of that," he told her firmly, but not cruelly. "I just hope you learned something about saving face. They see you in no other light other than the one you want them to see you in."

Blinking and feeling her muscles tense up, she nodded back. "Of course, Tojo... It won't happen again." She then added, "I know you're here because of a very serious matter, one that I need your help to fix... It's not every day that I have to host a wise king such as yourself."

Tojo nodded, and a bit of his smile returned. "You can never go wrong with a bit of flattery," he remarked. His smile then widened.

Kiara's body relaxed and she smiled back, more easily than she would've thought. "Tojo, I wish flattery solved every problem," she admitted.

This time, he chuckled. "I'm sure you're not the only one who wishes that were a real solution." Tojo's expression changed again, to one of curiosity and confusion. "I haven't seen Timon or Pumbaa," he remarked suddenly. "Are they here?"

Kiara thought that odd to ask. Surely Tojo knew that Timon and Pumbaa had raised Simba, but she'd never expected the king to notice their presence, or lack thereof. "They went back to their jungle," she explained. "They visited when my mother was ill, and left before my cubs ran away with my nephew, Natin. Those two are getting older, and they've wanted to stick close to the meerkat colony back there." She paused, thinking something over.

"I might come off as wise," Tojo said quietly, "but you know I cannot read minds."

"I think," Kiara began, and paused again for a moment. "... I think they left again so quickly because they couldn't stand to see Chaka so angry... and my son..." she trailed off. "My mother must've been their last connection here, and it's not like I stopped them from leaving again. Everything's changed."

Tojo nodded. "Things aren't meant to stay the same, Kiara."

"I know..." I know that most of all, she added silently.

Tojo sat down. "Unless I'm mistaken, Timon and Pumbaa were part of Chaka's life when he was a cub?"

Kiara nodded, smiling as she sat down, too. "Yes, his babysitters." Her smile widened. "Babysitting isn't their specialty, but I know they're important to him, even if he hasn't spent a lot of quality time with them since his return home."

"Good," Tojo said. "Kiara, I want you to do something for me."

Her head tilted to the side in curiosity. "Yes?"

"I want you to find Timon and Pumbaa and bring them here. They can tell me about Chaka's cubhood with Simba."

Kiara's eyes widened.

"By the time Simba returned to the Pride Lands, I already had a pride of my own. And then Simba had to rebuild the Pride Lands, and he started a family of his own," Tojo continued. His eyes softened. "It didn't leave a lot of time for heartfelt conversations, as you can imagine. I want Chaka to understand who his father was. I think that will help him, and I think you agree. I'll need to talk to you later, too. For now, I need you to find Timon and Pumbaa."

Kiara nodded. She glanced down for a moment. "What about my pride? Will they trust me to leave them with you and Chaka in charge? They've learned to be... cautious... about change."

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes, I think this is a great idea."

"Then they will trust that you have nothing but their best interests in mind."

Slower this time, Kiara nodded again. Inwardly she smiled, thanking her father for taking her to his former home when she'd been young, before she'd even been old enough to hunt for herself. She'd only visited once, but remembered everything clearly enough, mostly because it had fascinated her that she was walking the same route her father had taken on his way to face Scar. "I can have them here in two days, maybe three. It will be the trip back that will take some time. I can leave after sunset. I'll move faster if it's cool."

At that moment, Kenyi returned from the watering hole. He stopped in front of his father and made a confused face. "She's leaving?"

Tojo nodded. "Yes, she's running an important errand for me." The king then gave his son a stern look, presumably for not asking the lioness herself, before turning his attention back to Kiara. "Queen Kiara, would you allow my son to escort you?"

Kiara's eyes widened in surprise. With one glance at Kenyi, she knew they were thinking the same thing. The anxious looks on their faces were obvious when Tojo asked what was the matter. When Kenyi lowered his ears, shifted his weight, and looked away, Kiara knew the situation was hers to explain. She tried to laugh it off. "I was hunting and was a filthy mess," she said. "I went for a swim and... I accidentally splashed Kenyi. I guess I remind him of his sisters."

Tojo was smiling at the end of her explanation. "Is this true, Kenyi?" In a surprisingly fatherly gesture, he teasingly bumped his son's foreleg with his big paw.

The young lion stumbled. "Yes," he admitted, a small smile breaking his features. "She promised she wouldn't do it again."

"Wonderful, then I can trust you two will get along well. Kiara, I couldn't let you take care of Timon and Pumbaa alone," Tojo explained, "and my son could use some practice being a civil servant. Our shaman has it in her mind that he's her replacement."

"I don't know why," Kenyi muttered.

"You can't learn everything in one day, Son," Tojo remarked. His gaze then refocused on something behind Kiara and he walked forward. "It looks like those huntresses could use some help." Over his shoulder, leaving them behind, he added, "Thank you for providing this meal, Kiara."

She nodded. "No problem."

"So... We're leaving somewhere at sunset?" Kenyi asked quietly. "Queen Kiara."

"Yes, Prince Kenyi," Kiara replied, trying to smile warmly at the younger lion. "Why don't we go back into the cave, and I'll explain our task over our dinner?"

He nodded and followed her back up the rocks. "Maybe this won't be like dealing with my sisters after all."

Kiara grinned. "That's the kind of attitude that I like."

And I hope it's the kind of attitude that Tojo will rub off onto Chaka...

"Tojo's boy saw me run away- or at least that's who I thought it was. It felt horrible."

"If you had really run away, you'd be at the border."

Chaka grimaced. "I guess."

"Maybe you should just sit. I believe you think irrationally when you pace. You might start to claw up my tree again."

Chaka hadn't even noticed the pacing. He stopped and walked over to Tswane, sitting down.

They were at the base of the shaman's tree. The mandrill was resting on his behind with his back leaning into the huge trunk. His staff was lying across his stretched-out hind legs.

"You've visited me two days in a row. I'd feel special if I knew this was purely a social call." Tswane chuckled.

"I'm going to screw this up, and Tojo's gonna leave."

"Say things like that," Tswane told him, his face growing a bit serious, "and you will."

Chaka sighed through his teeth and looked around. Frustrated, he shook his head. "I can't fail. I'm gonna insult Tojo, and then he'll leave."

"You're thinking too hard." Tswane tapped the side of his head with a finger. "You're an over-thinker, Chaka."

"Can't help it."

Sitting there for a moment, Tswane then crossed his hind legs and placed his staff on the ground in front of him. "Well, I'm sick of hearing you complain about being angry with others and yourself. That's all I heard from you yesterday." He closed his eyes and shifted his weight. His arms lifted and he touched his thumb to his forefinger on both paws. "I'm going to teach you to meditate. How's that?"

Chaka raised his eyebrow and blinked slowly. "Meditation?"

"Chaka, you speak as if it is beneath you." Tswane opened one eye. "Is meditation beneath you? Because I don't think it is."

He muttered, "No, it's not..."

"Close your eye and shut up then."

"I can't sit like that, y'know."

"Close your eye."

Sighing through his teeth again, Chaka obeyed. "How long are we going to sit here?"

"Bored?"

"No. But, I-"

"Excuses, excuses. Just sit here for as long as you need, Chaka," Tswane snapped. "You'll get it, you'll see. Now put everything out of your mind, and breathe. This is probably going to be one of the hardest things you'll ever have to learn."

"I can't sit here all afternoon." He tried to concentrate- on what he didn't know. "Tojo's at Pride Rock."

This is stupid.

"Stay perfectly still."

What am I doing?

"I said, be still."

Tswane held down Chaka's tail with his staff. He hadn't even realized his tail had moved.

"Well, if you plan on cutting your visit short, Chaka, you're going to make a fool out of yourself with some stupid breathing exercises."

Chaka opened his eye and gave the mandrill an odd look.

Tswane chuckled and opened his eyes. "Just warning you."

"Tell me what to do already."

"Let's get to it then."

"He's dead," came a scratchy voice out of the dark.

"So soon?"

"Of course." The haggard lioness, who normally observed the world with an expressionless mask, gave a smirk. "Why should they let him linger? Fola, I didn't raise you to be so naive..."

Fola growled at her foster mother, but did not otherwise allow herself to rise to the taunt, especially since one of the old lioness's sons was part of the plot to overthrow their senile king. "What are your orders, Terrah?"

The old lioness turned away. "Spread the word to the youngsters who have expressed their wishes to leave this place. No cubs." She spat out the last four words. "I'll tell the others."

"The meeting place?"

"Mouth of the pass," Terrah replied, "before sunrise."

Fola nodded. The pride had moved to the valley several years before, before she'd been born. Scouts had found it. The old king had been paranoid of attack from a neighboring pride he had tried to conquer, but had failed in his attempt, and the valley was perfectly protected on all sides. The only way into the valley was through a mountain pass that always had eyes watching it. At first everything had been fine. They were able to carry on, train in peace. It wasn't until the previous dry season when rumors of a coup began to spread through the ranks, trickling down from the king's inner circle, to the warriors, and then to the mother lionesses. The senior warriors who were closest to the king were restless and the failure that had caused them to move their whole pride left them feeling infuriated and weak. Were they supposed to hide out in that valley forever? Fola remembered how the whispered rumors had transformed into legitimate plans after the rainy season had hit that year, bringing a flash flood that had wiped out a good chunk of the pride. The lives lost had mainly been the full-grown warriors who lived in that part of the valley, including the lion she'd been betrothed to. Fola remembered being upset about the ten young warriors-in-training who'd been swept away with the waters.

"They didn't give me the notches in my ears," Fola whispered under her breath as she carried out Terrah's orders.

Fola opened her eyes and squinted in the sunlight. It was early evening. She was sleep-deprived, only able to think about her friend's death. It did not console her to think that Sauda had merely been in the wrong place at the right time- Kovu would've killed any one of them if they'd stopped him and Natin from getting in the way. It also didn't console her to think that Sauda had pushed Kovu's buttons one too many times, or that she would've died the same way most likely if they'd stayed with their pride.

She glanced over her shoulder. Her pridesisters were lying placidly under the shade of a tree while they waited for three scouts to return. Fola was the only one keeping watch.

Fifteen young lionesses waited silently in the thick bushes and underbrush near the mountain pass. Sauda, with her missing tooth and scruffy fur, was crouched next to her. Their eyes were trained on the ten figures moving towards their hiding place.

"Does one of them have a mane?" Sauda whispered.

Fola squinted and she felt her shoulders tense up. Terrah had assured her that the guards would conveniently be missing during their escape, and it would take more than one male to stop them all.

"You can come out now," Fola heard Terrah call out. "Lousy job you all did in hiding- I can see all the broken branches plain as day."

Grumbling, the younger lionesses emerged from their hiding spots and joined their elders as they walked by to the mouth of the mountain pass. Fola searched the group for the lion that Sauda thought she'd seen, and sure enough she laid eyes a lion with a brown mane, light-colored fur, and green eyes.

Her heart had distinctly leapt in her chest, but she knew better than to approach the lion. He was an outsider, and the pride as a whole had made sure that he realized that it was better for everyone if he just kept to himself. She'd talked to him a few times, usually when there was nobody around who cared what she did. They'd even sparred before when he'd asked if someone would teach him the warrior skills their elders refused to teach an outsider, and she knew he could hold his own just by size alone. She wondered if Terrah was aware of this, or had just pitied the outsider so much that she didn't care if he tagged along.

They fell in line with the older lions leading and falling in behind the younger lions. The lionesses who were leaving had been told that bringing cubs was not an option, especially if they were stopped. Their future was going to be uncertain, and at least in the valley there was some certainty. Rulers generally had enough sense to value the lives of youngsters. Many of the lionesses were either too young or two old to have cubs, but the ones who had been caring for cubs had pushed them off onto other mothers who were staying with the pride. Fola knew few of the lionesses were upset by this, mostly due to how the lionesses in their pride did not care for their own cubs, but for the cubs of other mothers who had cubs of a similar age. This was due to the ridiculous belief that strong bonds with one's biological mother made potentially great warriors soft. A mother did not forget who her real cubs were, and still found ways to look after them, but she knew it was easier to discipline a cub that wasn't truly hers.

The pass was only a couple miles long, and wasn't especially treaturous, just narrow. Fola looked up at the dark walls of jagged rock that flanked the pass. Up above, there was a strip of sky and stars that reminded her of a shimmering body of water.

"That's the sky that's going to lead you to freedom," called a hoarse voice, "so remember it for the rest of your miserable lives."

"Hey, Fola? Hell-ooo?"

Fola blinked and realized that the three scouts had returned. They were laughing at her with their eyes.

"What did you find?" Fola asked before they could ask what she'd been daydreaming about. "They're close now?"

They nodded.

"We followed them for a while. Like we thought, they're walking along the river. Right now they're resting by a tree, their backs to each other," one of the lionesses reported. "They were bickering."

"Good," Fola replied, satisfied by the report. "We'll wake the others and go and greet the prince and princess."

As if Fola wasn't even standing there in front of her, one of the lionesses, the youngest, suddenly exclaimed, looking at the other two lionesses, "We've been hunting these bozos for days. I'm tired of this!"

Fola's eyes widened, and she felt her nostrils flare. It would serve no purpose to thrash the lioness, as much as she wanted to. "Wake the others," she repeated slowly, "and tell them we've found Kovu's cubs."

The lioness shuffled her paws, and the other two took a step away from her.

"Now."

"Fola..." the lioness whined. This time at least the antagonistic expression on her face had melted into irritation and exhaustion. "Aren't you sick of chasing something that is probably never going to be ours?"

"You mean the Pride Lands?"

The same lioness nodded. "The valley may not have worked out, but I still think of it as home. I want a home again! All we do is wander like rogues, bored out of our skulls."

Fola frowned. "I heard no complaints when Sauda and Kovu were leading. Now, everyone's lazy and doesn't seem to mind that Sauda was murdered."

Another lioness shrugged and admitted, "This is a separate issue from Sauda's murder. That killer promised us a home."

"And I'm not promising you the same thing," Fola stated, saying the implied thought. "So then I should be ignored."

"Sorry, Fola," the first lioness said, genuinely apologetic. "Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I feel we've wasted our time."

"Yeah," another lioness added, "in the valley, we had some kind of a future... But out here..."

Fola looked from face to face. Nobody had elected her as leader, she'd just naturally taken Sauda's place. Nobody had protested- nobody had even needed to speak- when they'd found Sauda's broken body and had followed the trail of Kovu and his family. They'd taken action. Now, more and more of the anger they'd initially felt towards Kovu was melting away. She concentrated for a moment to see if the same shift was happening to her, too, but she was confident that it hadn't happened to her just yet.

"What do you want from me?" Fola asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. She honestly needed to know, and if she was going to continue to lead her pridesisters, it was important that she kept their wishes in mind. "D'you want to walk away from all this right now, and forget about Kovu's cubs?"

The youngest lioness looked back at her steadily. "No! I didn't mean that we should walk away from those two, but I think that... that should just be it. We can avenge Sauda, but then couldn't we concentrate on finding a real home? Without having to hunt down Kovu, too? Otherwise, why'd we bother leaving the valley?"

One lionesses said, "Endings mean fresh starts."

"I see..." It was to their credit that they hadn't just mutinied without warning.

"We were born to survive, Fola. These days, we have a choice in how we get to live."

At this, Fola had to suppress a smile. "How far away are they?"

"Not far. About a mile."

Fola nodded, looking absently into the distance. "They might not travel again until after dark, maybe morning. They're exhausted. Low-spirited. Unprepared." Her eyes then refocused onto the three lionesses. "We'll discuss this more once we've dealt with those two. Understand? Is that fine?"

The lionesses looked skeptical before they turned to each other and seemed to wordlessly agree with a singular nod. "That's acceptable," one said for the three of them. Her mouth then turned up into a toothy grin. "Everybody's curious to figure out what was going on behind our backs."

Fola let her smile show. "Indeed."

There was no argument on Asuma's tongue when Tanga wanted to stop for the day. He squinted his tired eyes and tried to focus on the breeze that had kept them slightly cooler than the day before. There were far fewer trees around than at their previous resting spot, but they were able to steal shade from one of them. Asuma and Tanga hung close to the tree trunk. The sun hung right above the horizon.

Tanga pawed at the ground to clear away a few sharp rocks and sticks. "D'you really think this river is gonna run all the way to the Pride Lands?" She flipped away a thorny twig before sitting down with a sigh. "Or, what if we went the wrong way?" A faint amount of panic had entered her voice. "Natin said-"

"Are you saying we should come up with a better plan?" Asuma's paws were tender, but he would look at them after Tanga fell asleep or left to hunt.

She made a face before lying down on her hip, stretching out on her side. The toes on all four of her paws peeked out of the shade. "Yes..." She sighed tiredly. More quietly, she added, her eyes trying to grab his, "Please tell me that if we find someone we'll ask for help?"

He wasn't so sure.

"Is it the asking for help part?" she mused. "...Or the danger we might put ourselves in by asking strangers?"

He glanced away. "Well... we shouldn't be reckless."

Tanga's nose twitched in irritation. She rolled her eyes and she twisted around to expose her belly to the breeze. "Yep, still as open as a rock..." she muttered, closing her eyes and curling up her forelegs so they rested on her chest. "Y'know how you've been thinking a lot? Well, I've been thinking a lot, too, Asuma."

Asuma raised a brow, even if she couldn't see it. What now? he groaned inwardly.

She began, "Scar was Grandfather's uncle, right?"

"Yes," Asuma replied.

"...Which makes him our great-great uncle, making us blood relatives to Scar."

He shrugged. "Sure."

Her eyes were still closed. "And Scar was a hateful, selfish murderer. So... does that mean a small part of me is like that, too?"

"No." Asuma narrowed his eyes. "What in the world are you talking about? You're babbling."

She smiled, though her eyes remained closed. "So, I'm nothing like Scar? I could never be like him?"

He lowered his ears and frowned unhappily. Yes... you could put it that way... You're too perfect.

"And I was also thinking..." she went on when he didn't respond. Her voice was light, but clear. "...about how Scar murdered Grandfather's father. His own brother! And about how Scar tried to kill Simba twice when he was a cub. Why did Simba let Scar live?"

Asuma stared at her face. "He didn't save Scar from the hyenas, if that's where this conversation is heading."

"Okay, so then why didn't Simba kill Zira?" she retorted. "When he thought she'd killed-"

He closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. "Tanga, no more arguments about this, alright? I get it."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. She squinted in the sunlight and shook her head. "I wish you did."

"Fine," he said sharply, "I guess I don't. Now, I'm begging you- I want to lie here in peace."

Tanga shrugged and turned over so her back was facing him. "Fine, Asuma."

Tensing his mouth into a thin line and giving a low, frustrated growl, Asuma stretched out on his belly. He folded and tucked his paws neatly under his chin, his back to his sister. Eyelids heavy, his mind wouldn't heed his warnings and quiet down.

If I never sleep again, it'll be my own fault. It is my fault, I did this... I know exactly why I can't sleep, and I did this to myself. It's what I deserve after leaving that old lion to die. Great Kings, I'm cruel! Little does Tanga know... I didn't lay a paw on him, but his blood is there... Like father, like son, I guess... It's what I wanted after all. To know what it's like.

This last part triggered a crushing pain in his chest.

He had no recollection of the last time he'd slept well. Even with Tswane's drugs, his nightmares had poked at the edges of his dreamless sleep, large pieces sometimes managing to slip in. The dream had nearly always been the same. When he'd been younger, it had horrified him to know that only the herbs were keeping the nightly terrors away... but over time, he'd gotten used to it.

No... I grew numb to them.

Asuma clenched his eyes shut so tight he saw white stars beneath his eyelids. The nightmare was waiting for him on the other side. It was going to be worse than before, because now he had that mess of his very own to tease his conscious- it wasn't only going to be his imagination fluttering in every direction like a flock of panicked birds. There now was horribly concrete material to draw from.

Lying there, part of him, he discovered, wanted to fall into the dream, just to get it over with... being so conscious of every little thing pained him.

Going along with Natin's assassin mission was the dumbest thing I've ever done.

He wasn't sure where he belonged anymore, but that was nothing new. Tanga belonged in the Pride Lands, with their family, but his home hadn't felt the same after what had happened. Sometimes it felt as if he was trapped in a wall of water while the rest of his family was gathered together on one side. Often, his senses were dull- he would hear less clearly, or he would retreat far into his thoughts so that his vision was cloudy. The water also wasn't keeping him hostage, but was warm and protecting. It was a barrier between his family and him. He knew what he had to do to join his family.

The muscles in his face grew stiff. He could hear Tanga's soft, deep breathing patterns behind him, and he opened his eyes and sat up to inspect his paws before it grew too dark to see them.

Looking better.

He cleaned them carefully before he curled up again and closed his irritated, tired eyes, but I still couldn't run for miles on them.

It wasn't long after that when his dreams finally crept in from the edges of his mind and took over, drawing him under into the world only he knew. At least the repetitive nature of his dreams let him know where he was, and that his actions had substantially less severe consequences for him here, unlike in the waking world...

(A/N: I tried to trim this chapter down so it wasn't as lengthy as they have been lately, on top of some relief with Kiara and Chaka, some more background on the savage lionesses, and then setting up Asuma for the next chapter. The next chapter is just missing one section, but I make no promises on a quick update. Most of my time has been spent mostly trying to provide the "good" ending that some seem to want for Kovu, but I'm not kidding when I say I don't want a "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" type ending, where most of the book is spent building up to something that is resolved with one lame conversation- you've been forewarned! :))