Chapter 2

The sun was setting and the sky was turning pink as Nala arrived at Pride Rock with the baby. When she arrived, she was met by the duo of Timon and Pumbaa, and several lionesses. The lioness crowded around Nala, asking questions about her and the baby. Some of the lioness commented that the baby was cute; some commented that Simba was not going to be happy when he found out.

"That's a Man-Cub? Looks like a hairless rat with no tail!" Timon commented on the baby's appearance.

"You mean like you, Timon?" Pumbaa asked nonchalantly. The lionesses began laughing and Nala had to keep herself from laughing and dropping the baby.

"If you hadn't noticed, Pumbaa, I have hair and a tail! And I'm not a rat!" Timon grumbled. "I'm a meerkat! Though there was a rat on my Uncle Max's side of the family though he could have been adopted…"

Nala set the baby down on the ground. "Yes, Timon…" she said, laughing now that she was able to. "This is a Man-Cub."

Timon went over to the baby, who sat on the ground instead of crawling over. He tried to grab Timon, but Timon backed up quickly. "I got more dignity than to become the plaything to some man-cub." He said quickly as he backed up.

Pumbaa, being the friendly one, went over and sniffed the small baby. The baby hugged his snout, earning an "Aww" from some of the lionesses. "Hey Timon!" Pumbaa spoke as Timon watched with a grim look on his face. "This kid ain't all that bad! He's pretty friendly!"

"Yeah?" Timon asked, suddenly looking worried and pointing in a direction. "Tell that to him!"

They looked in the direction he was pointing and saw Simba walking towards them being followed by Rafiki. The lionesses pulled back in respect for their king and Pumbaa wriggled his snout free from the baby, who looked upset.

Simba and Rafiki approached Nala. Simba looked down at the baby, who was now toying with Nala's tail. "Where did you find it?" he finally asked, his tone somewhat concerned.

"I found him at the forest. Apparently something fell from the sky with him and other humans in it." Nala replied. "They're gone, though."

"What happened?" Simba asked.

"Braun…" Nala replied gravely. "He got to the humans and slaughtered them… He would have killed the man-cub too if I hadn't come…"

Simba looked down at the small man-cub and then at Nala. "You know that I don't want you adopting every orphan creature that we come upon into our Pride." He reminded her. "What if he grows up and tries to destroy us?"

"He's not like them. He's not the humans that my grandparents and your grandparents talked about." Nala replied silently. "I know there's good in him… Please, let me keep him. He'll die out there if I don't take care of him… Please…"

Simba paused and thought about it for a moment until Rafiki tapped him on the shoulder. "May I speak with de king?" he asked. He and Simba turned around and began talking in silence. Nala looked down at the baby, who was now inspecting her paws. The baby, aside from being hairless, had peach colored skin and watery blue eyes. He seemed to have a cheery demeanor, though almost every young thing beginning its life seemed to have that.

After a while, Simba and Rafiki came back. Simba sighed. "After some careful consideration…" he paused. "I will let him stay…"

Nala smiled and nuzzled her mate affectionately, which Simba returned. "Thank you…" she said as she nuzzled Simba. She then went over to the baby and nuzzled him affectionately, which caused the baby to start giggling again.

"But…" Simba spoke, becoming serious. "I said that he could stay… but he is no lion and will probably never be one… so that does not make him my son…"

Nala stopped nuzzling the baby and watched as Simba went inside while the other lionesses went their own ways. Pumbaa and Rafiki went down the path away from Pride Rock, each going to their homes. Timon was about to follow Pumbaa but paused for a moment. "So, whatcha plan on calling him?" he asked.

"Well…" Nala looked at the baby. "I'm gonna call him… Leo."

"Leo…" Timon spoke thoughtfully. "Well, he's your baby or whatever." He then ran after Pumbaa as Nala picked up the baby and went into the cave.

Braun walked along the barren planes of the outlands. "Alright, things to do on my agenda." He spoke with a grim comedy in his voice. "I already mauled the antelope and zebra, so now I got my assigned appointment to keep with the outlanders."

He kept walking along the barren landscape until he reached a large termite mound that was as big as a castle. Outside the castle, several outlanders spent their time fighting, digging, scratching themselves for termites, or other activites to keep them from getting bored.

Braun walked towards the door and a scrawny young male lion cub came up to him and made a menacing face towards him. "What do you want?" he growled.

"That's not nice…" Braun spoke in a patronizing tone towards the young lion cub. "Mommy's not going to be very happy when she finds out you were being mean to a guest… Where's your mother, Nuka?"

"What's it to you?" The young lion cub replied. Braun snarled and the young cub caved in like a coward.

"Okay!" he said fearfully, pressing himself to the ground. "She's in the lower section of the mound… but she's giving birth right now. You can't go down there!"

"Oh please…" Braun muttered, stepping over Nuka. He started going down into the lower sections with Nuka following fearfully and trying to convince him not to go in. But Braun continued through the mound, earning several snarls and glares from the outlanders, whose hospitality was never warm.

Braun came to the final chamber and heard growling and moaning coming from the leader of the outlanders; a lioness by the name of Zira, who was one of Scar's zealots. Braun marched right in and was met with snarls from Zira, who was lying on the ground, her face contorted into pain. When she saw Braun standing there, her expression turned into anger and she tried to get up to face him, but fell back down due to the fact she was giving birth to a cub right now. "Who let you come in here?!" she half-growled, half-roared, hurting from the pain of giving birth to a cub.

"I let myself in." Braun chuckled smugly. "Your son is not exactly Simba when it comes to bravery."

"How dare you come in here when I'm giving birth and mock me by mentioning the name of my enemy!" Zira roared, letting out another pain-filled roar as she dug her paws into the ground.

"Need a paw?" Braun continued smugly. Zira wanted to show him up, but the pain was unbearable and none of her outlanders could help her.

"Yes!" she replied. "Yes! Help me!"

Braun chuckled lightly and began helping her through the birthing process. Pretty soon, Zira had a newborn lion cub between her paws and was cleaning it proudly.

"Congratulations…" Braun continued, his voice sounding smug. "It's a girl. I personally was hoping it was a boy."

Zira looked up at him; her anger had faded a small bit. "Now what is it that you want?" she asked, picking up the newborn lion cub and passing her off to one of her fellow outlanders.

"I came to announce that Queen Nala has adopted a new child." Braun announced with mock pride.

"WHAT?!" Zira roared.

"It's true. She found a man-cub near the ruins of some large beast that fell from the sky." Braun continued. "The metal beast had humans in it… and they were pretty delicious. Unfortunately, they hid that man-cub pretty well, because I didn't see it. I came back to the carcass of the beast to find more humans, but Nala had gotten there first and claimed the man-cub as her own…"

Zira growled and got up, now recovering her strength from the birthing and walking around. "This is a setback in my plans…" she muttered. "If Queen Nala has a new child, he could become the king of the pride lands." When she realized what she said, she let out a cruel laugh. "Imagine that! The pride lands ruled by a human! They already tried to take over it once, but now they're trying again!"

Braun smiled and bowed with mock chivalry. "I just came to tell you that, my good lioness." He spoke. "If only there was something in it for me…"

Zira looked back at him. "Sorry, dear traitor." She replied, walking up to him and smiled with cruelty. "We don't have anything to offer you. And if you are wise, you will leave before we tear you to shreds!"

"You would do that, wouldn't you?" Braun laughed. "You outlanders would kill anybody that requests so little… but okay. I'll go. I know when to quit." Braun began walking away while Zira followed him to make sure he would leave. When Braun went out of the mound, Zira went back to tending her newborn cub.

Braun walked out into the outlands and back at the termite mound. He looked and saw Nuka bullying a younger cub with brown fur. "Kovu…" Braun muttered as his voice became as quiet as a whisper. He knew all about the young cub that was being bullied. His mother had died when he was born and he was adopted by Zira, who decided to raise him to be Scar's heir. Braun thought it was a dumb idea and almost lost his life when he told his opinon to Zira.

"Zira births the first cub to be born out of the Pride Lands and Kovu is the last to be born before they were forced out…" Braun muttered to himself. "I have a feeling something is going to happen…"

Braun looked around the outlands. "This place gives me the creeps…" he muttered as he began a full run out of there.