Adilah stared at the body in front of her, her amber eyes wide as she glanced at the copper coloured lioness's side rose and fell shakily, a pool of blood forming around her. Quickly pushing her way through the crowd, the amber eyed lioness crouched down to Rita's level, a few tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"No, no, no, no!" Adilah nuzzled the copper lioness, "Stay with me! Rita, stay with me!"

Rita smiled weakly, and assured the younger lioness, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. It doesn't even- ouch!" Rita hissed and squeezed her eyes shut, "Ok, it hurts... a lot."

"Where?" Adilah asked softly, taking note that the battle behind them has stopped and almost all eyes were on them, "Where does it hurt?"

"My...r-ribs.." Rita's breathing had become uneven.

Adilah nodded and glanced down at Rita's body where three large cuts sat, bleeding thickly. Choking back a sob, Adilah shook her head, "I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!" Her voice broke as tears poured down her cheeks, turning away to wipe them her eyes, she glared at the ground in front of her, "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be like this-!"

Rita laughed, despite the situation, the copper eyed lioness laughed. "Don't worry...I'll be...fine. My mother will... come and get...me."

Adilah felt her temper rise and she whirled around to face Rita, "No! It won't 'be fine'!" She shouted, tears now pouring from her amber eyes, "I'll lose another family member!" She whispered the last part, "Please, Rita... Stay..."

"Your not alone...your mother, Almasi...Kopa... H-Hakuna are there..." Rita pressed her cheek weakly against Adilah's before falling back down, "I see my mother..." She whispered before she closed her blue eyes and breathed her last breath.

~O~

Hakuna stood next to Kopa, who had a few tears falling from his eyes, not that he could complain as he felt some threatening to fall. The only sounds on the majestic rock was the wails of Adilah as she laid protectively over Rita's body. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he turned as saw the queen, Kiara.

"She needs you now more then ever." She spoke, her voice cracking. Nodding Hakuna padded over to Adilah's hunched over form.

Unsure of what to do, the gold eyed lion just pulled the lioness into a hug, letting her soak his shoulder with tears. "Shh... She's ok now," He whispered against her neck, "Your fine, I'm fine... Everyone is fine."

Adilah only clung onto him harder, her muzzle buried in his dark brown mane.

~O~

Vitani took note of all the lionesses around her with their heads bowed. Her blue gaze on the young male that comforted her niece, Hakuna was it? It hurt to see Rita die, but if the circumstances were different and Rita was under that mad lioness then Vitani knew she'll jump and take the blow any day... afterall, they were partners to the end.

Resting her chin on Kiara's shoulder, "They're perfect for each other, you know?"

The former outlander felt the queen nod, "I know. Kovu would be proud of what they have become." Kiara allowed a small smile to grace her face as she thought of her former mate.

Vitani sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

~O~

Almasi was the next to approach Rita. Sitting down next to Hakuna and Adilah, the orange lioness took one look at the dead lioness before breaking down and crying on the shoulder of her brother who followed her and rested his chin on her head, tears falling from his own eyes as he glanced at Kali, who had his head hung in sadness.

~O~

Unwrapping herself from Hakuna, Adilah pressed a kiss onto Rita's head before she looked at the lionesses in front of her.

"See what this war has done?!" She yelled, "This war- caused by Vita, who wasn't even lion enough to come out and face me, has killed numerous pridemembers! Who cares if they were loyal to Vita? Think of the cubs who won't have their mother, or the mother's who won't have their daughters?" Adilah stared down each lioness, some meeting her eyes, while others hung their heads. Hearing no objections, Hakuna smiled lovingly at her, before he turned to address the pride, "Let us end all this bloodshed today! Listen to your princess and future queen and today's events will be over!"

Adilah met eyes with her mother, who smiled proudly. Feeling a warm presence near her, Adilah broke the gaze and opened her mouth to roar but before any sound could come out, she fell to the floor.

~O~

Hakuna was quickly pinned to the floor by the two lionesses that sat next to him as Vita stood over his lover. Looking over to Adilah, he saw her attempt to claw out Vita's eyes. Looking up he saw the crimson eyes of the very lioness that had killed Rita.

The lioness cooed down at him, "Your a pretty one," Her sharp claw traced his jaw line and he snap at it, "But I don't like feisty ones." Gia pulled her claws away and pulled him up.

"Go to hell!" Hakuna hissed, his gold eyes searching for Kopa, Kali or Almasi, the last he saw was a golden lion shoved into a small den, before he felt a sharp pain in his front leg, where a lioness bit him.

"Keep moving!" She hissed, "Or that runt gets it!"

Hakuna looked over to the side where Gia held a cub, her red eyes glaring at the poor cub, who squeaked, turned and twisted with all her might as Gia's fangs moved closer.

Uzuri! Hakuna's thoughts all screamed as the lioness cub cried, visible tears coming from her green eyes and he reached a paw out, "Stop! Let her go and I'll come with no trouble." He looked Gia in the eyes, "I swear."

Gia smirked and dropped the cub, who scrambled back to her mother, the very lioness who held his shoulders in her claws. Hakuna felt his blood turn cold as he realized the lengths these lionesses would go for their 'king'. Hearing a gasp and the sound of two jaws snapping, the gold eyed lion glanced behind him to see Adilah on the ground with Vita standing over her and two lionesses on either side of her.

~O~

Adilah gasped as she was forced on the ground in front of Vita, a death glare aimed at the light beige lion, and a snap of her jaws at the lionesses holding her.

"Adilah!" She heard her boyfriend yelled out, but he was soon forced into a small den where her siblings, mother and aunt was currently being held.

The dusty lioness looked up into the eyes of her father's killer, "You won't win." She spat, causing the lioness next to her to grip her harder, her claws digging into her shoulder.

Vita just looked at her with an amused smile, "I admire your strength, Adilah," He gripped her chin with his claws making her look him in the eyes, "But yes, I already have won. Rita and numerous of your friends are dead but don't worry, you'll be joining them."

Adilah bared her teeth in an attempt to look menacing, oh how she hated the lion for what he had done. Glaring at him, she curled her lips into a snarl and attempted to leap forward, only to be grabbed by the lioness on the right, who looked at her with pain filled eyes. Adilah looked back into hers and instantly recognised her old friend.

"I think River likes you!" A young Adilah yelled out to the small female sitting on the rock in front of her, "He told me."

The lioness cub looked up, her honey coloured fur going red, "Really?"

Adilah nodded, "Yes! Tanith, he told me not to tell you...BUT we are best friends so of course I'm gonna tell you."

Tanith laughed and extended her pinky, "Forever, right?"

"Forever." Adilah agreed, locking her pinky with the brown eyed lioness's.

"Tanith." Adilah said, glaring at her old friend.

"Do what he says," She hissed, her brown eyes full of regret, "And you won't be harmed." She whispered the last bit.

"Never! Not after what he did to my family!" Adilah started to struggle, causing the lioness on the left to force her on her stomach and stand over her, her fangs inches from her neck. Adilah still managed to snap at the lioness on top of her.

"Do it, Tanith!" The lioness snarled, struggling to hold Adilah still, "Hurry up before she takes my paw!"

Adilah watched as her childhood friend looked at her paw then back at her. The amber eyed lioness watched the emotions playing on Tanith's face before she was knocked unconscious, Tanith's quiet apology the last thing she heard as her world went black.

~O~

Yes my faithful readers, it was Rita who died, sorry but it was either her, Almasi or Kopa and I really enjoy writing them so it had to be her and if you read the chapter where she first appears then you'll remember that Kiara sent her to protect her children so... in a way she was.

So we finally meet someone from Adilah's childhood! I wonder how that will play out... So next chapter we find out what happened to Adilah and the gang, I need suggestions about what happens as the stupid sheet I had all my ideas on had somehow disappeared cough, my brothers or dog, cough.

Oh and I drew adult Kopa up on the weekend, check out my DA, BananaBender and check out my TLK art :)

So read, review and stay happy :)