Author Note: Hi folks, this IS the last chapter of this story!

Chapter 34: One

After Vitani's and Koru's groups disappeared, the Pride Landers went back home. Jayden thought she would feel sad in this moment, but instead, she felt excited. This would be the first time she ever lived without her mother and father. The thought made her feel grown up.

Zula trotted to Jayden's side with a burst of energy, "I'm so glad you're staying!" She bumped Jayden's side with her head. "I can't believe how lucky I am, I get to keep my best friend!"

"I'm glad too. Everything I need is right here." She looked at Zula warmly, then at Dark with the same expression. I'm the lucky one, she thought. I got Dark, I never thought I'd have him again.

"How does it feel to permanently be a Pridelander?" Dark asked her after a few moments.

"Wow. Pretty great." Jayden replied.

"It's about time you became one. You know more about the Pride Lands than I do." Zula joked. "Maybe you should be the Pride Land's historian. Like you keep all the knowledge and stories about the Pride Lands that everyone else has forgotten."

"That's actually a good idea." Dark said to his sister.

"Actually? What's that supposed to mean?"

Jayden laughed, "Quit it, you two. Don't make me separate you. Being the historian would probably mean I'd have to sit and listen to a lot of stories from Old Simba."

Zula giggled, "Oh yeah… well maybe that won't be so bad! He just sort of rambles or loses his train of thought. A lot."

The group walked on home. Clous, Zuna and Ahila joined by their sides as they walked together in a line.

"Ahila!" Clous said, looking down the line at her. "What was with that hug with Drayden I saw?"

"Yeah!" Zula added.

"Oh um… well it was just a goodbye hug." She stammered, not looking anyone in the eye.

"Why were you blushing then?" Clous teased.

Ahila blushed.

"Oh leave the poor girl alone." Zuna chided her mate.

"I'm only kidding around. She doesn't have to answer."

"I just think he's cute is all." Ahila blurted, still pink in the cheeks.

"You two would make a good couple." Jayden said lightly. She thought it would be ironic if those two ended up together someday.

"Oh, no, it was nothing like that." Ahila said, sounding even more embarrassed. "Let's talk about something else. Anything else!"

Zula and Jayden snickered.

The group was passing the waterhole, so Jayden and her friends stopped to drink. Some of the other Pridelanders did to, but most went on home. Dark and Jayden drank side by side, a little separate from the others. Dark rose his head and watched the brown lioness lap up with water with her eyes closed.

"Will you miss them?" he asked after a moment.

She raised her head too. "Of course I will. Especially little Torrent. I wanted to watch him grow up. And I wanted him to grow up knowing me…"

"I hope that doesn't make you regret staying here to live with me."

"No way!" She glared at him. "You better not truly think that. I'd do anything for you and us. It was hard to imagine my life without my family at first, but now it's impossible to imagine my life without you. We were meant to be together, I know it. That's why I couldn't forget you while I was gone."

"I'm glad you didn't forget me." He said with a smile.

"Me too." She chuckled and shoved him in the shoulder with affection. "I love you."

"I love you, Jay's Den."

"Please no."

Dark laughed loudly.

"HUSH OVER THERE!" Zula jokingly shouted from where she was standing near the water not that far away. "DON'T YOU KNOW THE WATER HOLE IS A QUIET PLACE!"

As if to punctuate her falsehood, an elephant who was drinking nearby trumpeted loudly.

"YOU KNOW…A PLACE TO MEDITATE… REFLECT…"

"Okay Zula!" Jayden said laughing.

Dark shook his head with eyes cast down.

"DID YOU HEAR ME!" Zula yelled.

"The whole WORLD did!" Jayden yelled back, giggling at her friend's silliness.

"How embarrassing." Dark said.

Jayden only laughed. This was the life.

A couple days passed. Vitani and her family's absence was felt everywhere. When Jayden walked near the underside of Pride Rock, she automatically turned her head expecting to see Tempest with Torrent in her paws, and Mani watching over them protectively with a smile. But they weren't there. Jayden would hear some male voices joshing around in the cave, but when she went in, it was just Kivu, Jai and Clous. No Mani and Koru. The biggest difference was Afia. Usually she'd be running around with Clous on her heels trying to keep her from bumping into someone, but since Torrent and his family left, Afia refused to leave her mother's arms. She didn't cry as much anymore, but she was still heartbroken about her cousin leaving.

One day, Jayden offered to take Afia to try to cheer her up. She didn't expect it to work because the cub had turned down similar offers from other before, even from her father. But when Kiara asked her if she wanted to go with "aunt Jayden," the cub nodded.

"Thank you." Kiara said, opening her arms more widely, so Afia could get up. The orange cub stood sadly and went to the brown lioness's legs.

"Let's go for a walk, Afia, you need some fresh air from this stinky old cave." Jayden smiled, hoping to make the cub laugh.

She got a smile and a: "It does stink."

Jayden didn't expect that reply from her and laughed. "Come on then." The two stepped out of the cave and down the steps. She knew Afia needed a stretch after being cooped up for so long. Maybe after she warmed up, she would race with her.

"Are you thirsty? Jayden asked her.

The cub nodded.

"We could go to the waterhole."

"Okay." Afia said and moved to walk beside Jayden's front paws. "You smell like him."

"Huh? Like Torrent? Yes, I suppose we should, since we are related. I'm his mother's sister, so I bet we do have a similar scent."

"I remember. Torrent is your nephew, and I'm your cousin, and Torrent is my cousin too."

Jayden was shocked. Last time they had this conversation, Afia didn't seem to grasp the difference between siblings, cousins, or strangers, but now she seemed to get it. Afia might be growing up too fast .She thought.

"That's right! Aren't you smart?"

Afia let out another small smile.

"You'll see Torrent again."

"In a year. That's like a very very very long time. That's what Clous said. I asked Mamma if that's like 100 sunrises, and she said it's even more than that." She hung her head.

"It might feel like a long time because you're young. Don't worry, you will have new cubs to play with soon, I think."

"How come?" she asked.

"There's so many couples in the pride now, something's bound to happen."

"Happen? What?"

"Er…" if Jayden wasn't careful, she could lead this conversation in a very odd direction for a little cub. "I mean new cubs could be born sometime in the next few months."

"From the couples?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean like… boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Yes, dear. Like Clous and Zuna. And Kivu and Ciara."

"And you and Dark?"

"Yes." She smiled at her. "And maybe even Jai and Tali. We'll have to see."

"What if they all have cubs?" Afia said, looking excited at the possibility.

Jayden chuckled. "It very well could happen."

"Even you?"

"Yeah maybe."

"I wanna be best friends with your cub, Aunt Jayden."

"Aw…" Jayden stopped and turned to the cub. She lowered her head to the cub's level, which she noticed wasn't as low as usual. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. My future cub would be so happy and lucky to have you as a friend."

This made the cub grin widely. She bounced around on her paws like Dayya used to when she was a cub. "Let's race."

"You read my mind!" Jayden said, moving into a crouched position. "You say when to go, okay?"

"Okay… ready… set… go!"

After their outing, Afia was in better spirits. Kiara was so thankful to Jayden and asked her to take Afia anytime she'd like to. Jayden relished the time she got to have with the rambunctious cub. Everyday made her want to have cubs with Dark even more. She talked to Zula about it one day when they were alone on the sunning rocks.

"I think I want to have cubs." Jayden blurted.

"I thought that was the plan for someday?" her friend replied.

"I mean soon. Like now." Jayden blushed.

"Really?" Zula smiled widely. "That'd be so exciting. This needs to happen. Where's Dark? Go find him right now."

Jayden laughed, "No. I haven't told him that I want them now. Last time we talked about it we were saying 'someday'."

"Just go up to him and say, 'Today's the day, bucko!' and then do what you do."

Jayden giggled, "Oh Kings, shut up! I want to go about it with a little more class than that. I need to make sure he feels ready too. He is younger than me."

"What does this word, class, mean?" Zula joked. "But seriously, talk to him. He would make a good, gentle father."

"Yeah, I know he would."

"Tell him that."

"I will. I'm sort of nervous, I don't know why."

"Don't'w worry." Zula smiled at her. "He better be ready, I want to have a niece or nephew! They can call me Aunt Zuzu! Or I guess it would have to be Aunt Lala since Zuzu could get confusing with Zuna too."

"She could be Aunt Nana. Those two names just might be the most adorable thing I ever heard." Jayden said.

"It's perfect! I'm going to tell Zuna right now." She stood quickly.

"Wait! You can't start talking about a baby I don't even have yet. Rumors will start going around that I'm pregnant."

"I'll be tactful, I promise. I'll just tell her that maybe your future cub could call us by those names. She'd love to hear it, I know it. Pleeease?"

"…Fine, but seriously, don't start telling everyone."

"I know. It'll only be Zuna. Go talk to Dark now, then come find me and tell me what he says!" Zula raced off to find her twin.

Jayden rolled her eyes. She'll just tell Zuna? Right… Zuna will tell Clous, then Clous will tell Kivu… then the whole world will know.

She sighed, then shrugged. She stood to find Dark.

She found him in the cave with Jai, Kivu and Clous. They were just laughing at something Clous had said when she approached.

"Hey!" Dark said when he saw her. "Come sit by me. How was sunning with Zula?"

"It was nice, but hot." She said, taking her place by Dark's side. Her pelt brushed his. "Hi, guys." She greeted Jai, Kivu and Clous.

"That's why they call it sunning." Clous teased her.

"You're an ornery one today aren't you?" Jayden gave him a fake glare.

"Yes he is." Jai said with a hint of annoyance. "He won't stop teasing me about… something."

"Something?"

"About his little kissy kissy girl, Tali." Clous said, ending the taunt by making kissy noises with his mouth.

"Shut up!" he said with a blush. Dark and Kivu laughed loudly.

"Like I said, I gave the flower to her as a friend." He insisted. "And the petals reminded me of her eyes…" he added quietly. "So that doesn't mean anything, we're still just friends, now quiet down! Besides, that was almost a week ago, why are you still talking about it?"

"Cause it's fun to watch you blush. You have the lightest fur color, so your cheeks get all red. And now your nose too!"

Jai growled and put his head in his paws, and turned his head away from them grumpily.

"Go easy on him." Dark said with a smirk. "It's his first wuv."

Jai growled again, and the others laughed.

Jayden giggled too. Poor Jai, he made it so easy to tease him.

Clous, Kivu and Dark started talking about something else that Jayden didn't have much input on. She was content just to listen for a while.

Mani should be here talking with them. Jayden thought after a while. And Koru. The brown lioness still felt there was something missing here at the Pridelands, and it was like the hole got a tiny bit bigger everyday. The sadness she didn't feel right away when her family first left started creeping in. She missed them. She missed her sisters and Torrent. Even Drayden a little. She didn't want to change her decision, or anything, but their non-presence was noticed.

She wondered how far they were now. Half way? Or almost there? Would they have to go as slow as they did on the way here when Tempest was wounded? Torrent would tire easily. Or would they carry the cub when he got tired? Did they miss her?

What about Koru and Jiyi? They'd been gone a week too. They were probably having a great time travelling. Did they find a place to call home yet? Jayden found herself wishing she could visit them already. He's the closest family member to me now. But I have no way of finding them until Kovu sends Kudzu to locate them and he comes back with the directions. If they've even found a home yet.

Jayden was brought from her thoughts when Dark turned to her and said, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Sure."

They stood. "See you guys later." Dark said to the others.

"Go on you love birds." Clous said.

"Why don't you ever tease Dark?" Jai asked Clous.

"I'm sure I have in the past."

"Well I've never heard it."

Their bickering continued on as Jayden and Dark went down the stairs.

"So that's what it's like hanging around a bunch of Prideland boys." Jayden joked.

"Are you okay? You started looking sad in there."

"Oh you could tell huh…" she started, eyes on her paws. "I was just thinking about my family. Where they were and if they are thinking of me."

"Of course they are. You must miss them."

"Yeah, this is the longest I've ever gone without seeing them."

"I know it's hard now, but you'll get used to it as time goes on. We will see them all again soon." He said and nuzzled her neck. She purred at him.

"And before you ask again, no, I don't regret my decision." She remarked.

"I wasn't going to ask."

"Good. Cause I don't and I never will."

They walked together in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. It was still hot out, but not in an unbearable way. Jayden breathed deeply, loving the scent of the Pridelands. She knew she belonged here. She belonged with Dark.

"Thank you." He said suddenly.

"Thank you for what?" she turned to look at him. His eyes looked watery, like he was about to cry. "Dark, what's wrong?"

"I just tried to picture what it'd be like right now if you had decided to go home. Just thinking of it makes my chest hurt."

She stopped in front of him to make him stop. She looked into his blue-gray eyes that stared back at her with endless love in them. He said, "I don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you for staying here and making the sacrifice you did."

"Don't thank me, silly." She said, nuzzling him hard, relishing his soft rain scent. "I did it for me. I love you and couldn't stop. Being here with you makes me so happy, happier than I ever thought possible. When I was at home, I told myself you'd forgotten me and moved on. I tried to stop loving you but couldn't. I told myself you'd never love me again. Being here, having you and having all I do now is so much more than I expected I'd have or deserve. I should be thanking you for loving me."

"Now you're talking crazy." He said with a flat tone that made her laugh.

"So… you're staying here with me? Forever?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I am. Of course I am." She whispered. They stayed together like that for a few minutes with their chest touching, two hearts joined as one.

Jayden finally broke the silence. "I have a question."

He looked at her after moving his head back. "Yes to whatever it is." He said.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Still, yes."

"Even if it was, 'Can we have cubs'?"

"Yes, it'd still be yes." He smiled.

Jayden grinned hugely. "Really?"

"Really."

"Like now?"

"Yes now. You'd make a great mom."

"You'd make an awesome dad! Oh, I love you! You've made me so happy." She nuzzled him fiercely.

"I love you, Jayden." He licked the back of her head.

"I love you forever. This is the perfect ending to our amazing love story." She nuzzled his mane hard, letting his black hair fall over her face. He put his paw over her back.

"It is perfect, but it's not just an ending." He pulled back from her so they could lock eyes. He smiled. "Another story is just beginning."

The End

Author Note:

That's it! I hope you liked it. It went how I wanted it to, and that's all I want. If you enjoyed it, great! If you didn't, I hope you stopped reading it a long time ago xD
As the ending implies, there will be another story and it will be the last story, because nothing goes on forever, even though I'd love for it to. But as this is a fanfiction site, the story by then would hardly be a fanfiction, as all the original TLK characters would be old and some probably gone. The story would hardly mention them, even less than they are mentioned now. So yes, the next story will be shorter and the last one ever for me.

This next story wont be posted for a while. I know people will ask when, but honestly I have no idea. It could be years. I have begun to write the outline of the story, but have no real desire to hurry and write the actual story right now. So if you wanna give up on me, fine, I really hardly care. There are tons of other fanfictions for you to read. I just write these stories for my own enjoyment. The next story will focus on the next generation of cubs, but every lion will be mentioned, some more than others. The older characters may not be mentioned as much, including the original TLk characters. If you don't like that, then don't read it.

For those that read it and enjoyed, thank you!
If anyone would like to see my art of my TLK characters, please see my Deviant art page. My website there is Kainaa . Deviantart . com without the spaces. I'm very active on there, and talk a lot more there, but be aware I will not responding to angry comments asking me to "hurry up" or whatever.
Okay bye for now!