Author's Notes: None

Chapter 15: Laughing Again

Nobody, except Kiara, trusted Kovu especially not Shredder. Whenever Kovu walked by the Hybrid he would receive death glares that unnerved him greatly and the Hybrid seem to appear suddenly from the shadows from time-to-time which also unnerved Kovu, but he shrugged it off. Today Kovu had to train Kiara on how to be a better hunter, or huntress. Kovu did a demonstration but wound up spooking Timon.

"Don't eat me please! Uh, oh I never met a scar, uh Scar. Little moody, but-" said Timon panicking slightly.

"Timon, what are you doing here?" said Kiara walking up.

"Kiara! Thank goodness! Hey, for once we're not following ya. This just happens to be the best place for grubs in the Pride Lands; bugs everywhere! But don't call in a reservation and...yeesh! Go on ya hungry scavengers! Get!" said Timon trying to scare off the birds pulling grubs out of the ground before one pecks his nose and it turns red. Pumbaa chases them into the air only to have them land behind him. Kiara laughs at this.

"Oh Timon, I don't feel so good. I got to lose some pounds." said Pumbaa unaware of the birds sitting on him. Timon walks up onto Pumbaa.

"Get! Shoo! Get!" said Timon scaring the birds away.

"Hey, maybe he could help." said Pumbaa looking at Kovu.

"Oh yeah, sure. Let the vicious Out Land-Hey I got it! What if he helps?" said Timon pointing at Kovu.

"What?" said Pumbaa.

"Rwrar! Rwrar! Roar already!" said Timon looking at the two.

"Huh?" said Kovu looking confused.

"He means, like this. *ROAR*" said Kiara and her roar chased off some of the birds.

"WOO-HOO! Do it again! Do it again!" said Timon jumping onto Pumbaa and running off on the warthog.

*ROAR*

Kovu's roar also chases off some birds.

"Yeah! [Blows Raspberry]"

The four then chase after the birds and Kovu is introduced to fun (again?). The four chase the birds down a narrow corridor only to run smack into rhinos.

Kovu, Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa: "Uh, oh..."

The birds blow raspberry at them before the rhinos snort in anger.

Kovu, Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa: "WHOAA!"

The four take off with the rhinos hot on their tails and hid in a small crevice that squeezes them together. Timon and Pumbaa are the first out causing Kiara and Kovu to accidentally kiss and the two become embarrassed and get out quickly while apologizing and then laughter reaches their ears.

"Ed! HAHAHA! Help me! HAHAHA! I'm not supposed to laugh!" came the voice of Shredder and the four look up to see Shredder and Ed up on top of the low cliff overlooking the passageway.

"You mean, like this?!" said Ed grabbing a stick and smashing it on Shredder's head.

"No! HAHAHA! Like this! HAHAHA!" said Shredder grabbing a stick himself and smashing it on Ed's head. The two then get into a roller-brawl and roll down the cliff where they flop away from each other.

"Shred, you okay?" said Kiara looking at him confused.

"Yes...HAHAHAHA!...But I'm not supposed to laugh! HAHAHAHA! Because he's dead! HAHAHA! I promised never to laugh again after his death! HAHAHA! Why is this happening?! HAHAHA! Ed, we're...HAHAHA...leaving!" said Shredder as he walked away laughing his head off with a guffawing Ed behind him.

"What was that about?" said Kovu looking at Kiara confused.

"Shred was never the same after Kopa's death. I was too young to really remember my older brother, but I do remember hearing those two laugh. Wasn't the same when he quit. He made a promise never to laugh again after Kopa's death for some reason." said Kiara looking away sadly.

"Sorry...about bringing up the past." said Kovu before he started walking away, followed shortly by Kiara.

Plains; 40 Minutes Later

Shred walked out into the middle of nowhere laughing his head off the whole way.

"Why...HAHAHA...can't I stop...HAHAHAHA...laughing?! I'm not supposed to laugh! HAHAHA!" laughed the Hybrid as he bashed his head against a tree before he clutched his head in pain, "And where'd I get such a hard skull?! HAHAHA!"

Shadowy Figure: "[Whistles Innocently before he disappears in black mist]"

"Forget I asked! HAHAHA! Why can't I stop?! HAHAHA!"

He managed to stifle his laughter upon hearing a frustrated groan and cautiously walked towards the edge of the small hill he was standing on and watched as a lone male lion tried to chase a baby wildebeest but had no luck. He limped away towards a tree and laid down.

"Stupid leg! Didn't heal right, now I can't hunt!" complained the lion. Shred peered over the ledge and saw that the lion was covered in bruises and his golden fur was very dirty. His eyes narrowed as the lion looked familiar, too familiar...

An idea then came to mind and he snickered evilly before he made a makeshift water balloon and threw it at the lion and burst out laughing before he saw the soaked lion glaring at him.

"Uh oh..." said Shred before he took off running with the lion behind him. The lion tackled him and they both rolled down a steep hill and wound up in the river, they both climbed out of the water, coughing, gagging, and laughing.

"Why am I getting Deja Vu vibes here? HAHAHAHA!" laughed Shred before he fell onto his back laughing.

"Sheesh! What have you been doing? Repressing your laughter?" said the lion earning a glare from Shred.

"Do I know you?" said Shred narrowing his eyes.

"I guess it's been too long..." said the lion shaking his mane and fur dry to reveal...four scars running diagonally across his face from left to right.

END CHAPTER