Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion King. Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.

Two Months Later

The sun had yet to rise over the savannah, and all animals slept peacefully. Well, any animal in their right mind, that is. For, running at high speed towards Pride Rock's peak was a tiny cub. Her green eyes shimmered as she looked around. Suddenly, she whipped around and called into the shadows of the pridal cavern. "C'mon, Tumba! Hurry up! You're not chicken, are you?" the girl called, her voice barely above a whisper and with a silly little smirk on her maw.

Soon came the reply. "No!" Tumba quickly scurried from the shadows towards the larger female cub. "Kri, we're gonna get in trouble if mom and dad wake up!"

Kri just snickered, her green eyes shimmering. "Yeah, I know." she said, as if that were all the reason for her doing this.

"But Kri," complained Tumba, "We could get hurt, or stepped on or--"

"Even get lost. I know, Tumba." finished the female cub for the male with a quick "huff". Her ears flattened back as an annoyed expression fell upon her face. "Are you going to come or not?" she finally ask as she brushed her hair from her eyes and started to walk around Tumba with intention of leaving the Rock. Tumba just sat there on his haunches, his ears flattened back as she padded off.

Then, finally, Tumba spoke up. "Ok, ok! I'm coming! But if dad finds us, it's not my fault!"

Kri just rolled her eyes before she grinned and looked at him, her ears perking up as her tail swished happily. "All right." she giggled. "Now, c'mon before they wake up!" With that, Kri trotted off, leaping down rock after rock, with Tumba in hot persuit. He was slightly smaller than Kri, which made it a little difficult for him.

As the reached a large, flat rock, Kri stopped unexpectedly, and Tumba went hurtling into her. The girl cub cried out in suprise, and flopped forward, narrowly missing the ledge. The rock they were on dropped off quite suddenly. For a grown lion, it would be a large step. For a cub, a painful fall. Kri growled slowly as she recovered from the fall, and steadily rose to her paws again before she turned quickly to glare at her brother. Tumba backed away a few paces and grinned innocently, his rust eyes meeting her green ones. "S-sorry, Kri."

With his apology, Kri relaxed, though the angry flare didn't leave her eyes right away. "Fine. Just don't do it again, 'k?"

The boy cub smiled faintly. "Ok."

With that, Kri smiled and went right away to finding a way down. "I think we're stuck." Kri finally said when she realized that the only way they could go safely was up again.

"Good..." Tumba muttered under his breath with a smile. 'Now she can't get us hurt or stepped on or get us lost!'

"What'd you say?" Kri inquired, turning to face Tumba.

"Huh? I didn't say anything." Tumba said quickly, and for now, fooling his sister.

Kri sighed. "I guess we just gotta go back up there. Geez, this place is boring..." the cub murmured. Tumba nodded as he turned and tried to climb up the next nearest rock, and with some difficulty, succeeded.

"I guess it is." Tumba frowned. "I wish granma would come home so she could tell us stories again." he sighed softly.

"Yeah, I wonder why she and granpa went away." Kri said as she followed after Tumba, and was soon padding along in front of him and moving faster as they climbed.

"Maybe mom'll tell us?" Tumba suggested.

Kri just shrugged before leaping back up, and finding herself before the pridal cavern. "But she never tells us anything, Tu'!" she answered, frowning as she flopped down on her belly, her forepaws crossing as she laid her chin on them. Tumba just sighed.

"What are you two talking about?" came an all too familiar voice to the cubs.

"Hi Mandu." the two cubs greeted in unison the new majordomo - a hornbill, like Zazu had been before him. "We aren't talking about anything," answered Kri with a roll of her eyes.

"Nothing to talk about..." added Tumba as he plopped down beside his sister. The hornbill just looked at them each knowingly before shaking his head and walking forward awkwardly.

"I see." replied the bird after a while. At the same moment, two more figures emerged from the cavern. The bird was opening his beak to rant on about one thing or another before both cubs shot past him and dashed for their parents.

"Mom! Dad!" both twins cried out as they were met with loving nuzzles and licks. Mandu's eyes went wide with suprise as he realized they weren't exactly alone anymore, and he whipped around.

Bowing quickly, respectfully, the hornbill took to the air, and smiled faintly. "Your Highnesses," he said, "I wasn't expecting you so early... good morning!" Kiara looked quietly up at the bird and just chuckled, slowly shaking her head. Kovu lifted a brow and smiled.

"Good morning, Mandu." Kiara said as she approached the bird. Kovu just nodded. Even now, he was still getting used to being in the Pridelands, though he was much better now than he ever was before.

"Morning." the king greeted plainly before turning to his children, while Kiara chatted with the bird idly.

"So, what are you two doing?" Kovu asked the cubs.

"Oh, nothing." Kri answered for them both, trying to act innocent. Tumba nodded as he rubbed gently against his father's left foreleg, before laying down and curling around it carefully to eye his sister. The female cub just rubbed against her father's opposite foreleg and looked up at his green eyes. "Really, dad!" she said quickly, while he eyed her with a suspicious look in his eyes and a small smile.

"You had better stay out of trouble, Kri." said Kovu softly. Kri just sighed. 'He always says that...' she thought. Tumba smiled faintly. "You too, Tumba."

"Ok dad, I will."

The two cubs and the lion all turned their heads to look up as Mandu abruptly flapped off, and Kiara just smiled, turning to them as she said goodbye to the hornbill. "What's he doing?" asked Kovu.

"I just sent him off to make sure things are ok this morning." the queen smiled, stretching quickly before looking at her kids. "Kri, Tumba," Kiara addressed the prince and princess suddenly. "Remember, if you're good today, we'll go out onto the savannah tonight!" the cubs' eyes lit up immediately.

Both had forgotten, and were more than just a little excited. "Ok mom, we'll be good!" said Tumba.

"Promise!" added Kri. The lioness chuckled as she settled down beside her children, and gently hugged each one as they came up to her, then she looked up at Kovu lovingly as the children rested between her paws. 'Our dream has come true, Kovu... we have our own family... our own pride...' Kiara thought to herself. Somehow, her thoughts must've been given away, for Kovu's expression seemed identical to her own, and there was a smile on his maw.

Later that Night...

The night sky was clear and the stars twinkled merrily. It was perfect. Kovu sat across from Kiara, with Kri nestled atop his head in his thick mane, and Tumba was draped over Kiara's forepaws. All of them looked at the sky in wonder, while Kiara told them about the stars. "You see, the Great Kings of the Past look down upon us from those stars, and so are always with us." Tumba looked at the stars in wonder, a smile plastered on his face. 'They watch from up there? I wish I could see the world from there...' he thought.

Kri grinned. "Like granpa? Will he go up there?" Kovu smiled and nodded carefully, so as not to knock Kri off.

"Yeah, he will." answered Kiara, as she closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I miss you, daddy..." the lioness whispered as she looked at one star in particular, one that seemed brighter than the rest. She smiled.

"Hey mom, where did granma and granpa go? Will they ever come back?" Kri asked suddenly.

Kiara smiled faintly. "Well... grandma and grandpa, they went to be with the great kings." the cub tilted her head at the answer. However, Tumba nodded his - he understood. "I miss them, mom." the boy cub said softly as he leaned back into his mother's warm fur and curled up. Kri then realized what was meant. "Oh... I get it." She frowned. "I miss them too, mom."

Suddenly, Kri's mouth opened wide into a yawn, and a small squeak escaped. "It's time to go," said Kovu as he heard his daughter.

"It's past both of your bedtimes!" added Kiara, who held the now-dozing Tumba close.

"But dad... I'm not sleepy." Kri lied. She could barely keep her eyes open. So, tilting his head back so Kri slid down. Kovu picked his daughter up gently in his mouth, just as Kiara did with Tumba, and soon the small family was on its way to Pride Rock where they could sleep...