One

Simba yawned. It was nearly nightfall and the storms still hadn't settled. He was beginning to worry about a flood, and if there would be any food left for his pride after the rain ceased. He heard rustling at his side, and turned seeing Kovu, the prince of Pride Rock.

"Hello Kovu," Simba said, his voice made him appear pre-occupied.

"Hi, Dad." Kovu replied. "Wow that sounds strange, A few months ago my heart was set on killing you for Zira."

"Kovu, that is not the best thing to say to a new father-in-law. Especially one with doubts about you as it is."

"Oh, heh, sorry." Kovu looked down at his paws. He extended their claws in and out a few times, then looked back up to Simba. "Ya know, I find it strange that Zira could have so much hatred for one person and yet have so much love for someone whom hurt so many." He looked to Simba once again. "Simba? Are you alright?"

Simba looked directly at Kovu; his eyes looked worriedeven scared

"Kovu there's something I need to show you." And he turned, cocking his head gesturing that Kovu should follow him.

Kovu furrowed his brow, a little confused, yet anxious to see what Simba wanted to show him. They climbed down Pride Rock to the place where Simba had done battle with Scar years before. The grass had not grown back since the fire. The sands had shifted, though and there was no indication of a battle ever taking place. Simba went up to a small stone and nudged it. It rolled out of place and Kovu watched in astonishment as the larger rocks above it moved too, almost as if that one tiny rock was pout there to hold them up.

Kovu was still confused though, and didn't get it.

"So, some rocks move? What's so special, sorry if I sound rude, dad." Kovu asked.

Simba winced. He did that every time Kovu Called him "dad". The scars that Kovu's family had made had not yet fully healed.

"It's a tunnel." Simba replied. "It leads straight through the bottom of pride rock, out around the other side."

It finally dawned on Kovu. He was hit with a mixture of emotions.

"Sc-Scar is alive!?" Kovu asked.

"I'd say so" Simba replied. "I checked all around Pride Rock, and even had Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu check the surrounding areas. If it weren't raining, I'd walk through the tunnel myself, but sadly the weather and I are not the best of friends. I sent a pack of Gophers down there. Hopefully, they'll live to tell us a pretty tale."

"What if they don't live?" Kovu asked.

"Then, either Scar is down there and got to themor it is floodedas I suspected."

"Scar? Daddy I thought he was dead." It was Kiara. She had stepped from the shelter of an overhanging stone, and was drenched in seconds.

"Kiara? What are you doing there? Why were you spying on us?" Simba was surprised; he did not want to scare his daughter with stories of Scar.

"Daddy, you shouldn't be the one to talk about spying on people." As she said this, Simba's skin turned beat red. It was visible even through the yellow gold fur that covered his muscular form. "Besides" she continued, "mommy was teaching me how to sneak up on people"

"Nala?" Simba called. But she did not answer. He started looking when out of no where A bright flash of tan flew at Simba knocking him to the ground. It was Nala.

" Ha! Pinned ya!" she said playfully. She nuzzled his cheek affectionately and got up off of him. Trying to now look as "queen-like" as possible. It didn't work She immediately leapt once again at Simba knocking him down and rolling with him down pride rock.

Kiara rolled her eyes at them and then turned to Kovu.

"You don't really think that Scar could be alivedo you?" She saidnever once looking at Kovu, but keeping her eyes transfixed on the tunnel entrance.

"I dunno" Kovu honestly replied. "What do you say wefind out?"

"What do you mean?" Kiara asked, finally turning to him with an impish smile on her face.

"I say we check this tunnel out tomorrow when the rain has passed. Maybe we'll find something." Kovu was completely serious. His brow was sincere, and he looked as though he was in deep thought. So that's when Kiara pounced.

"Hey!" Came Kovu's surprised yelp. "What are you doing?"

"Oh come on," came Kiara's response, "don't tell me you've once again forgotten what fun was."

"This is not fun!" he yelled and shoved Kiara off of him. She went sprawling. Kovu had forgotten how strong he was. Kiara was not hurt physicallybut her heart was broken and that's when Kovu pounced.

Kiara shrieked and they wrestled for a few minutes when Kovu finally pinned Kiara.

"Ha! Pin—" But he was cut off. Kiara had used Nala's Special flip kick move that she so often used on Simba to pin Kovu down instead.

"Ha! Pinned you!" She said. They then began wrestling and fooling around more.

Simba and Nala looked on from below, huddled closely in each other's paws.

"Look at them. They're exactly the way we were when we were young" Nala stated. Then, she raised her head to Simba. "Simba?" she asked, "Do you think that you sometimes go a little hard on Kovu. Being related to Scar does not mean that he wants what Scar wanted.

"I know, but it's hard Scar killed my father and Kovu reminds me of Scar. Scar reminds me of Mufasaand that reminds me of pain. You have no clue what it's like. No clue whatsoever what it's like to be so young and on your own. So small that you could become prey at any time. You don't know what it's like to be lost, alone, scared to believe that you murdered your own father I'm sorry if Kovu gets caught up in that web." Then, he got up and climbed pride rock.

"Simba, Simba! Wait!" Nala ran after him. She walked past Kovu and Kiara and into the small den where the pride slept.