Disclaimer: I don't own the Lion King, or Disney.
Shilark paced the cave restlessly. "Honey, please stop that! You're taking after my father with all of that pacing." Kiara pleaded. "Tiko should have been back by now. It's my entire fault. I pushed him into a bush, and he didn't come out." Her face showed sorrow. Kiara comforted her daughter.
"We'll send out a search party."
The search party roamed all of the Pridelands, but Tiko was nowhere. "He's in the Outlands," Kovu whispered. "He can't be! I mean, he's too scared to go into there! He's always pointing there and saying how creepy it looks." Shilark protested. "He's there. Honey, you stay here." "Are you crazy? I'm the only reason he's missing. I'm going." Kiara sighed, but smiled at the expression on her daughter's face. "You're just like me when I was young." Kovu snorted. "You've got that right!" Kiara pushed him playfully. "Let's go. We'll take Simba and Nala with us," Kovu announced. The two agreed to come along, and finally found Timon and Pumba snacking, and faithfully looking for the cub. They set off. When the group stopped to rest for the night, Shilark raised her head to the sky and hoped, prayed that her brother was safe.
"You will stay here until you learn that Outsiders are your friends, and Pridelanders are bad!" Tiko nodded, scared to do otherwise. Zira noticed this. She groaned, and put him to the same exercises that she pulled Kovu through when he was young. But this time, there was not female lion to put his attention elsewhere. Boy, was she wrong. But soon, Tiko's mind had been wiped clear of all the good times that he had had with his family. "Who is your rightful guardian?" Zira asked, circling him. "You." "Who is the cause of all the pain that the Outlanders have suffered?" "Simba." "Who else?" "Kiara and Kovu." "Right. And now?" "I will kill them." Zira smiled. Unaware to her, she had forgotten his sister, who was as spunky as Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara combined.
"Where are we?" Timon asked, looking around. "The landscape has changed a lot since that fire." Simba inspected the area, squinting. Shilark bared her teeth. "Tiko might be hurt, or worse now!" She snarled, and ran through the unending fog. "Shilark!" They chased after her. She was gaping at what she had found. "Whoa." Pumba added in for good measure. Kovu snorted again. It was a large waterfall that now obviously led into the home of Zira. "There's a secret passage that we don't know about, huh?" Kiara asked. "Yeah, but I seriously forgot how to get through the waterfall. There's a gap, somewhere, but unless another Outsider drags us through willingly, we're stuck. So, who wants to go through first?"
They scowled at him. "Fine, I'll go." He strode over, picked a place in the waterfall, and was suddenly dragged down by a set of teeth. "Daddy!" Shilark screeched, and dove under the water. "Shilark!" "Kiara!" Simba dove in, as did Nala. Timon and Pumba shrugged, and dove in, too. Behind the waterfall in a rapid river gorge, Kovu was wrestling a large Outsider. "So, the king has returned," The Outlander smirked at Kovu. Kovu snarled, and they went at it again. He was dragged under the fast moving water of the gorge that if you stepped too far on the edge, would send you into another river that led to a larger waterfall. Kiara tried to get in the fight, but missed her target, and held onto a rock to keep from being swept down the river. She squirted out a pool of water, clearly very annoyed. Simba tried his luck, but Kovu's paw knocked his grip off, and he landed on top of Kiara. "Ow!"
"Sorry!"
"Sorry, Simba!" Kovu called through a mouthful of water. Shilark bristled. This is taking too long! She thought. Shilark timed it right, and then jumped right onto the Outlander, slashing at his throat. It left a dent. The Outlander threw her off and onto a stone wall. She snarled, and slashed once more at his throat. But she also lost her balance and toppled into the river. "Shilark!" Kiara screamed, and dove in after her. Everyone else did so, too. A rock ledge was at the edge of the waterfall, but it would only work if you jumped just at the right moment. Shilark tensed, and jumped at the rock ledge. She managed to catch it, but the rest of the group missed and fell down the waterfall. Shilark scrambled ashore, coughing. She could spot no sign of her family. But that was okay. It was her fault that the Outlanders had kidnapped her brother. This was between her and Tiko. A long passageway was seen, and it looked to be about fifteen miles. Shilark sighed, and started to walk. While she did so, she pondered on all of the horrible mistakes that she had made. She had been born first, but Tiko had always been there, anyways. He was by her side, no matter what. His cheery smile, optimistic ways, and wimpyness was what made him great. Shilark sighed, and for two more hours, walked without stopping. She finally collapsed at the edge of a rocky terrain, lapping up water from the stream near the waterfall. A roar came to her ears, and she rushed towards it, hoping for the best.
Tiko sneered as he watched his older sister come to the "rescue" of his roar.
"When she gets here, kill her."
Zira whispered in his ear. He smirked and nodded, sharpening his claws on a rock. His sister was so naïve sometimes. Didn't she see that the longer he stayed, the darker he became in body and soul and mind? His fur had darkened, and his mane grew longer, and he looked a bit like his father, except with lighter fur. But his father had chickened out and went good. Tiko would take his place on getting revenge on Simba. Even though Simba was now in his blood, he still hated him more than anything.
Kovu, Kiara, Timon, Pumba, Nala and Simba coughed and waded out of the chin deep water, shaking themselves. "Well, we're alive," Timon said, trying to lighten up the mood. The group, even Pumba, glared at him. "Will Shilark be okay?" Kiara whispered, nuzzling Kovu. He nodded. "She's got a will of steel, or stronger. Lark will be okay." He assured her, although he still worried. Simba sighed, and bared his teeth.
"But if he stays there too long, Zira, who seems to be alive, will most likely influence him. We have to get there, fast."
He snarled. "How?" Nala asked, "The water fall was the only way." Simba looked at the sky, and grinned. A canopy of trees layered the sky, and went right near what seemed to be the new lair for the Outlanders. "We climb a tree." Nala looked doubtful. "Simba, we're not cubs anymore. The branches might break." She pointed out.
"Good point. Hm.."
Rafiki turned to the sky, and muttered something in Swahili. A large gust of wind blew under the group, and lifted them into the sky. Simba's jaw dropped. "Mufasa." Rafiki explained. Simba smiled, and let the wind carry him to the top.
Shilark pushed ahead, although everything in her body ached. A blood red sky was seen over the horizon, and she bounded towards it. Tiko was next to Zira, smirking at her. Zira nodded her head towards her, and whispered in his ear, "Kill her." Tiko sneered.
"With pleasure."
He leapt at Shilark, who pushed him off with her back paws, and did a back somersault, turning to him in distress. "Tiko…" she whispered. He slashed at her face, leaving a scar down her right eye. She gasped, feeling her eye burning, but ignored it and the two engaged in mortal combat. "Yes…Yes! Fight to the death!" Outlanders gathered to watch as the almost fully grown cubs tumbled paws over tails, slashing at the other without mercy. Simba arrived just then. Kiara and Kovu's eyes widened, and they leapt towards their cubs, when they were stopped by Zira, who let her claws out. "Remember me?" She laughed, seemingly crazed. Kovu's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Move! Now!"
Zira smirked at his request. "As you wish." She pushed him into Kiara, and slashed at the two. Timon and Pumba whimpered in fear as the cheetahs, leopards, and lions closed in on them. "We really don't taste that great!" Timon squeaked. A sudden snarl drowned out the rest of his explaination. Timon and the rest of the entire group of Outlanders and Pridelanders gaped. "Sh-she-Shenzi? The hyenas?"
Author's Notes: Hee hee! It looks like some hyenas we know and love are here…But whose side are they on?
Sasha: Hmph. I only liked it because of the cats! ::snarl::
Gryfffinrose: Um…Yeah.