'ello, once again, to chapter... Five?! Wow.. this story's coming along nicely. no? Yes. Anyway.. This chapter might have taken a bit because I have so many freaking ideas for this story, I don't know how to put them all down on paper, I'm working on Of the Storms and Trees, too. and.. yea.. home things. I try, though, I try. Now, getta readin'.

The wind began to pick up, carrying a faint but familiar scent from the clouds forming off in the distance. A young king with a scar across his left eye stood from the inside of a cave, inhabited with his fellow pride members. A smile crossed his face proudly as he looked to the queen, and then to her slightly bulging middle, which held his cub. He walked swiftly out into the morning twilight, walking with a graceful stride to the tip of Pride Rock and stood proudly gazing over the dry land, knowing the scent was of a future rain.

Taking a look back at the humbly sleeping pride, he walked down the path at the side of the formation and walked through the grasslands. He approached a water hole near the end of the border and crouched down by the small pool of water to drink. A flash of white at the corner of his eye caught his attention as he looked up. His sharp eyes searched around quickly as he took a step backwards. Another glisten of white caught his eye and he barely made out the figure of something slowly approaching the same water hole. He hid behind a large boulder and made sure to keep an eye out as he observed the unknown figure.

Appearing from the tall, dry, and annoying grass, Boniko swatted a bunch of bugs away with his paw. "Dang insects.."

An immediate growl formed in Kovu's throat, because he did not recognize the white lion. Boniko looked up instantly, his eyes alert to Kovu's direction and he watched the brown lion appear. Boniko growled lightly, but tilted his head, thinking, 'I've seen this one before...'

"Who are you to intrude on these lands." Kovu's growl was fierce and sharp as Boniko still growled and paced a few seconds at his side of the water hole, which annoyed Kovu even further. "Get off my land!"

"This is the border, you idiot!" Boniko snapped back, quickly, the scent of the Pridelander irritating him. Then it hit and Boniko's eyes went wide, his eyes locked on Kovu. "Chosen one!"

This time, Kovu cocked his head, "How do you know about that, nomad?!" He instantly became irritated again.

Boniko growled, slowly stalking his way to Kovu, subconsciously preparing to fight. "I'm no nomad, I belong to a pride that'll be much greater than yours." Boniko growled through his clenched fangs. "And you're the reason why."

"How can I be the reason if I don't know you?" Kovu's claws dug into the ground, forcing himself not to strike the other first.

Boniko and Kovu were now just a few feet apart. They exchanged glares as they spoke. "You must have been too young. The day you were chosen was the day Scar and the elders of the pride exiled me and Obassi-who is the TRUE chosen one!"

A fierce roar came from Kovu as something snapped in him and he lunged himself to Boniko, who's eyes went large in shock. Not having enough time to move, the white lion was tackled down by Kovu's power, but his claws extended as he reached in the air at Kovu, above him, and heard a sound, like ripping cloth, but he didn't know who had been struck. Kovu's front paws pinned Boniko's shoulders to the dusty grass. Boniko lifted his back legs under Kovu and rolled backwards, flipping Kovu onto his back. Boniko took the advantage while Kovu laid in pain for a split second and tired to sink his long fangs into Kovu's throat, but the brown lion's mane was to thick for the fangs to slice through skin.

The adrenaline began to fade from Boniko's body and pain started to fill in. Kovu panted and struggled away from Boniko, not wanting to draw into the fight any further. Kovu's eyes gazed up from the bloody ground to Boniko who was standing in front of him and he was shocked at the scars that were inflicted on them both for such a short fight. Boniko growled at Kovu before turning and running back towards his Pride members with a limp.

Boniko's run quickly turned into a slow walk, a limp in his back left leg held him back greatly. He entered the small territory of his pride and looked around for a few moments. Umaimai yawned and turned over from the top of a rock and looked down to Boniko, half asleep, "Where ya been all morning....?" She yawned again, rubbing a paw against her eyes then took a closer look at Boniko and gasped, leaping from the top of the large rock to Boniko. "What happened?!"

He panted and looked Umaimai in the eyes, "I went to get a drink at the nearest water hole.." He paused to take a breath. Umaimai looked him in the eyes, very worried. "..and I ran into Kovu."

Umaimai gasped. By now, Dekala and Azazsi were searching around for Boniko. Azazsi caught a glimpse of the white lion and also gasped at his bloody appearance. "Dekala, over here!" The two lionesses joined the Boniko and Umaimai.

Boniko tried to take a deep breath, but his body hurt to badly. He laid in front of the lionesses and closed his eyes, some wounds still open and bleeding, forming small puddles around him.

Obassi heard all the commotion and quickly made his way to his other Pride members and he gasped as his gaze found Boniko. He then looked to Umaimai, instantly. "What happened to him?!"

"Well.. He.. I.." She stammered, in small shock to see Boniko bleeding, though she had never even seen the aftermath's of a real lion fight. Obassi sighed and growled at the same time at Umaimai and cautiously nudged a paw at Boniko to see if he would wake.

The white lion growled lightly, opening his eyes at them all, "I'm awake.. I'm fine... just tired." He yawned and closed his eyes once more.

Obassi sighed, relieved, but growled again. "What happened, though?"

Umaimai looked to the ground as the other's peered at her, "He said that while he was going to the water hole, he ran into..." she sighed, looking straight at Obassi, "he ran into Kovu."

Eyes widened and Obassi instantly focused his eyes to a far-off rock formation, "...Kovu..."

Azazsi grabbed Obassi's tail in her mouth, as if to pull him back, "You're not going there."

Dekala tried not to chuckled at Azazsi and Obassi. Umaimai shoved her little sister with her shoulder. Obassi growled then calmed down as Azazsi let go of his tail. "I wasn't going to.. Kovu just.." He growled one last time before collapsing himself down to the ground.

Azazsi chuckled and put crouched down in front of Obassi, getting ready to pounce on him. Dekala watched while Umaimai tended to Boniko. Obassi looked up at Azazsi right as she leaped at him and the two had a quick, playful scuffle before Azazsi pinned Obassi to the ground with her front paws on his shoulder, which sent Dekala into a laughing fit. "Beat by a girl! Some leader you are, Obassi!"

He growled playfully and nipped Azazsi away and got up, "Ha," He looked at Dekala, "watch it before I chase you away." He smirked. Dekala flattened herself to the ground. Umaimai looked up and laughed at them all, "You people are going to die laughing, aren't you?"

Dekala, Obassi, and Azazsi all smirked in their own way, "Maybe.." Azazsi chuckled and jumped up on a tall rock and laid down.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Kovu! What happened to you?!" Kiara gasped as Kovu made his way back to Pride Rock, slowly. The dark lion struggled his way up to the top of the formation and laid down in front of Kiara. Many of the other pride members rushed around as Kovu picked himself off the ground to be face-to-face with Simba's old, concerned face standing just a few feet away.

With a deep breath, Kovu looked back and around at the others who were now gazing at him. "Kovu.. what happened?" Simba repeated Kiara.

Kovu panted and sit down, "One of those rouges attacked me." He lied, knowing he had attacked Boniko first.

Kiara lifted Kovu's lowered head with her own and looked him over. "Kiara, I'm fine. Their just scratches..." He forced a smile as many of the other lionesses whispered among themselves, eyeing their leaders.

Nala walked up to Simba and whispered to him as Kiara and other lionesses cared Kovu, "I heard those rouges made a pride, but I thought they'd stay away from the Pride Lands."

With a deep sigh, Simba looked to the former queen, "Their rouges, what do you expect..." He paused for a moment and looked back to Kovu and Kiara, "It's their job to protect us now, though."

"You sure we should have turned the lands over to them so early?" She sighed and looked off into the horizon.

Vitani, now an adult, dropped down from a ledge above Simba and Nala, startling the two. "Vitani!" Nala hissed, scolding her.

The girl chuckled and smirked, "I overheard you two talking about the rouge pride that took over our old land and part of the desert."

Simba eyed Vitani with curiosity. "What do you know about them?"

"Well," Vitani began, examining one of her front paws, "I know the leader of their pride had a great grudge against Kovu." She motioned towards Kovu with the same paw, "And that he is also Kovu and my half brother."

Simba's jaw dropped, "You're related to that rouge?!" The thought for a moment, "Then why wasn't he with you and Zira before the prides joined?" Nala had already wandered off, leaving Simba to speak with Vitani.

Vitani chuckled again, her sharp fangs showing, "Scar had exiled him before you came along and sent him tumbling down the big old rock of death. That very day, actually. Little brother Obassi was so sure that he'd be picked-and in all actuality, that's what the majority of the others thought-and he spoke out towards Scar and Zira. I wasn't there the whole time..." Vitani circled herself around and stretched, ".. I was keeping Nuka from going ballistic, too."

The red manned lion tilted his head at Vitani, skeptically, "If this was going on, why didn't you say anything?" A low, threatening growl came from his throat quietly, accusing Vitani.

Again, Vitani chuckled and began swaggering off and called over her shoulder, "No one ever asks about an outsider's life."

Attention was now faded from Kovu, now that they knew he'd be fine. New pride members were talking among themselves once more. Simba growled one last time at Vitani. He did not hold much trust in her. Sighing, Simba walked back into the cave to rest, his old age was beginning to slow him down.

Was that good? I tried to get it done quicker, but I'm working on two stories and planning on starting another! O.o; Anyway, flames, reviews, comments, and constructive criticism are welcomed with open arms. C'ya next chapter.