What's up my dudes!

Hope everyone's doing well! Sorry it's been a while, last year's ending got me really busy and I could not write to save my life. But I'm back with another chapter, that while short, will hopefully tug on your heartstrings!

Taka's short moment of bliss was interrupted when Zira pulled her head away from his chin and looked at him with tear-filled eyes, reminding him of everything he was trying to ignore. His heart heaved in his chest as he held his breath, unsure of what to do or say next. Was there even anything that could be said at that point?

"But… just, how can it be?" Zira asked in a whisper after she broke away from the embrace, looking at Taka with a faltering smile; sadness and relief dancing together on her confused expression, "How can you be alive? I was there, I saw it when Simba- when the hyenas…" She trailed off and closed her eyes as sour memories came back to her mind.

"It's a… long story." Taka sighed, looking away from her as though that would make the moment easier, but it didn't, "A lot happened after that."

"Well, that I can see," Zira nodded, her eyes focused on Taka's missing ear as she took her paw to his head and lifted the fur covering it to reveal the short, shredded nub that remained where his ear once was, "What happened to you? Did Simba do this?"

"I think so; but to be honest, I'm not really sure," He gently pushed her paw away and covered the nub with his mane again and Zira watched as it quickly disappeared under the locks of black, thick fur, "It could have been the hyenas after Simba pushed me to them. I didn't notice because I was too busy, you know, running for my life," he weakly laughed at his failed attempt to lighten the mood with a failed joke; his laughter slowly dying into an awkward silence.

"And what about all the rest?" She asked, looking to the other marks that covered Taka's body, "Is that all from the hyenas?"

"Most of them, I think," Taka said, looking to the small furless scars that covered his body, "I know one of them managed to bite a chunk off my leg and damage it forever. I definitely don't have the balance I used to anymore, unfortunately." He stretched the damaged limb and it twitched back into position as he hissed, "And it's gotten worse with the age."

"That… That sounds horrible," She bit her lip, "How did you even survive that night?"

"I, I'm not even sure myself," He sighed, "It's all a weird blur when I think about it. I think I jumped away from the hyenas and the heavy rain dragged me away. And I somehow survived that. Who would have guessed this old lion still had in him, hum?" He gave her a small smile.

"That's… incredible," Zira said, still sounding dumbfounded, "You're alive!" She shook her head in disbelief, suddenly speaking much louder, "You're alive! I never thought- I just- wow. If someone had told me yesterday I'd see you again in this life, I wouldn't have believed it. And now… You're here. Here!"

Scar smiled when she looked up at him with dreamy eyes, cheeks admittedly getting warmer as he smiled back.

"Tell me about it," He smiled back, "I wasn't sure you would still be here too, or even alive. I was so scared you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't find you anymore," He took a deep breath, "I'm happy you're ok, though."

Zira smiled at him, but then her expression became hurt.

"If you were so scared, why didn't you come sooner?" Zira's eyebrows came together as she looked down and fought back small tears, "I, it's been so long, all those years I missed you, and all this time, you were alive. I just… where were you? Why not find me sooner?"

"Oh," Taka bit his lower lip and sighed, Zira's hurt expression piercing a burning pain through his heart "Zira, listen, it's a long story," He approached her and lowered his muzzle to whisper, "And we have a lot to talk about. I have a lot to tell you; if you'd be up to listen to me."

Zira looked up, slightly startled when their muzzles almost touched and they both leaned back instinctively before giggling at it.

"I have a lot to tell you, too," She smiled again and Taka's heart felt lighter in his chest.

Then Zira got up and looked around, suddenly looking worried, "We shouldn't do it here, though, Simba's patrols may show up. Either him or that stupid lion guard. Yuck," She rolled her eyes, "Follow me! I know where no one will bother us!"

She jumped towards the tree that served as a bridge above the river that separated the Pride Lands from the Outlands, looking over her shoulder with a smile, motioning for Taka to follow her.

And he was about to happily comply, but then his heart heaved as he thought better. He couldn't go like that, not when there was someone already waiting for him.

"I, I can't go now, I mean right now," He said, retracting himself and taking a step back. He held up his breath when Zira's smile became a thin line and her eyes widened before she turned around and walked towards him again.

"What, why?" She asked once she got close once more, an eyebrow raised, "What is it?"

Scar looked back at the Pride Lands and then at Zira with apologetic eyes, "I'll be back soon, I just have to-"

Taka was interrupted when Zira jumped on him, pushing them both behind a rock.

"Hey, what-" He tried to ask as he wiggled out from under her.

"Shush," She silenced him harshly and peeked around the rock, "I heard something, someone's coming this way. If the guard or Simba's lionesses see us here, they won't be happy."

"Oh," Taka said as he got up and cleaned the dust that had gotten on him, "Yeah, I guess they wouldn't…"

"Asante?"

Zira recoiled in fear when she heard the call coming from nearby, while Taka sighed in relief. She didn't seem to notice he wasn't worried, though, for she started trying to push him towards the bridge.

"Let's go," She urged, "They're coming!" She looked around frantically, "I heard that's the name of one of the new lions Simba let into the Pride Lands, I don't want trouble."

"No, Zira, you see," He tried to talk to her, but was interrupted when Kopa's voice echoed again.

"Asante, are you here?"

"They're getting closer, come on, we have to-"

"I'm here!" Taka yelled and walked around Zira and the rock, leaving their hiding spot and leaving Zira dumbfounded.

"Scar, what are you-"

"Asante!" Kopa said as he jumped into view and approached Taka, smiling when he saw him, "Finally, I-"

"No!" Zira jumped between Taka and Kopa, who jumped back, startled, when she bared her teeth at him, "Scar, run, we have to-"

"Zira, wait!" Taka pleaded and pulled Zira back, standing between her and Kopa before either of them could attack each other, "You don't have to fear him, he won't hurt us."

Kopa watched the scene, heart racing, unsure of what to do. Should he step in?

"Are you crazy?" Zira shook her head, taking steps back, "He's clearly a Pride Lander! He will…" She trailed off when she looked at the strange lion and suddenly, the feeling of familiarity slipped into her mind, "He, he will…"

Zira was unable to finish her sentence, her tail going between her back legs as she shook her head and her expression turned into a horrified one.

Kopa gulped awkwardly, looking down at his paws to escape the lioness' piercing gaze on him; as Taka looked back and forth between them and tried to think of what to say next.

"Asante," Kopa spoke up before Taka could, slowly approaching the brown lion, "Is… everything alright?"

"Wait-" Zira shook her head, confused at that new piece of information, "You're 'Asante'?"

"Zira, I'll explain everything, I promise, I just-" Taka looked back and forth at them, unsure of what to answer first and tripping over his words, "It's alright, Kipawa, I was just-"

"Kipawa?" Zira gasped again and both lions looked at her, both with similar confused expressions, "But, that, that's Kopa!"

Kopa blinked in confusion, "Wait, how do you know…" His eyes then widened in realization, "Wait, I know you! You're the mother of that lion I used to play with when I was little, aren't you?"

Instead of replying, Zira just kept looking at him with her mouth open in shock and an awkward silence settled in. Kopa bit his lip and looked down awkwardly at her reaction.

"Zira, listen," Taka tried to talk again, "I'll tell you everything, I-"

"No," She shook her head, "You're- You're with Simba, he took you in, you're with him, no," She started stuttering, her voice quivering as she walked backwards, "You're with them!"

Taka rushed to get close to her again, pleading, "No, Zira, wait, I'll tell you-"

"You're with them!" She screamed in rage one more time before turning around and rushing to the bridge, crossing it and running to the entrance of the Outlands, only stopping to give Taka one last, hurtful look before she disappeared among the huge rocks that surrounded the Outlands.

"Zira!" Scar screamed desperately and tried to follow her, only to have his bad leg give in and he fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Asante!" Kopa exclaimed and rushed to his side, helping his master stand up like he did many times before, "You know you can't just spring like that!" He took a worried deep breath and watched as Taka recomposed himself.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked, resigned.

"I am," Taka sighed, and looked to where Zira disappeared off to with watery eyes, "Physically, at least."

Kopa raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah, about all that… What was all that?"

"That was… an old friend. It's a misunderstanding, I, wait-" Taka shook his head, "You said you knew her."

"Uh? Oh, yeah," Kopa nodded, "I mean, I think I do, she looks familiar. Isn't she one of the lionesses of the pride? I think I remember seeing her around when I was a cub, before I r- uh, when I still lived here. I remember her cub was one of the few ones that was around my age, so I played with him sometimes. With him and…" He gulped, "A few others. Why?"

"So you know her," Taka nodded, "Listen, Kopa, this is important," He looked into Kopa's eyes and the serious glare almost made Kopa shudder, "Did that lioness ever try to harm you, in any way?"

"Oh, hum," Kopa gulped before he looked up and thought some, "I, well, no, I don't think so? I mean, sure, sometimes she was a bit mean towards me and didn't like it when I played with her cub, but she never hurt me. Why would she?"

Taka didn't answer, instead he just blinked repeatedly and shook his head in disbelief, "She lied, because of me," He stared off to where Zira had been just a few minutes before, "She gave up her place in the Pride Lands, because of me. And I… I abandoned her." His head hung low and he closed his eyes, sitting in silence.

Kopa looked from side to side and waited for an explanation that never came, as Taka did nothing but stare longingly into the entrance of the Outlands.

"Uh, what?" He finally asked.

Taka let out a long sigh and shook his head, "It seems like I have a lot of explaining to do, hum?" He looked at Kopa with a smile and then at the sky, "Perhaps I should start that, at last."

Kopa frowned, confused, when Taka turned around and started to go towards the bridge Zira had crossed.

"Wow, wow, wow," He rushed and positioned himself in front of Taka, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Don't talk to me like that, young man," Taka told him in a stern voice and raised an eyebrow, "I raised you, remember? You owe me some respect." He tried to walk around Kopa, only to have him jump and block his way yet again.

"What you owe me is an explanation," Kopa spoke back defiantly, "You can't just go there, it's the Outlands! Do you know how dangerous that place is? And you haven't eaten yet, I was so worried looking for you and-" He shook his head, suddenly overwhelmed, "Asante, who was that? I mean, I know who she is, but what was all that about?"

Taka sighed and smiled at the lion's disobedience, "You're not going to let me go that easily, are you?"

"You raised me, remember?" Kopa mocked Taka's previous sentence, "You know me better than that."

"Indeed, I do." Taka nodded, "Maybe I should start the explanations with you instead then, Kipawa. I guess it's about time I tell you something about myself."

Kopa's ears shot up and his eyes widened as he smiled, "Wait, really? Now? Are you going to tell me how you got your scar? Or what happened to you and Mufasa? Or what happened-"

"Hold up, not so fast," Taka petted him on the head, getting him to calm down, "Good things come to those who wait, someday I'll tell you those. But now, I'll just tell you about what just happened here, ok? I think that's more of an… subject of interest, right now. And I may need some help."

Kopa frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, that's better than nothing, I guess," He smiled and looked up at Taka, "I'm all ears."

I changed this chapter a bit from its original concept to help it flow better, I hope I made the right choice by changing it. Sorry Areli, I didn't deliver what I told you I would! Please forgive me :P (Areli is the wonderful artist who did the pic I use for this pic, shout out to her!)

And thank you for every one reading this! I hope you all are enjoying this! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, everything! This wouldn't be half as fun without yall :D Hope you liked it!

And see yah next chapter :3