Okay, so I finally had time to write this chapter. I know it's very long, but I was caught with the situation. I'm sure you don't mind a little action... ;)

I don't mind oh-no's, I just thought it was funny with 3 in a row. Don't mind me, I'm a bit nuts at times... a new life brings back the fire of old pain... that may be more true than you thought when writing that, MorpheusDreamer...

please review, as always! Atrice

Part 14 - Bound to happen

Scar left the queen as Kovu andSimbaclosed in on them,and went to Kiara and the cubs. Pushed a little to her with his head and she woke up, looking very tired though.

"Wake up, dear Kiara – for we have visitors…" he said quietly, and she looked up – and saw her mother, her father and her original mate not so far away.

"You said they'd never find this place…" she said back, and he nodded with a sigh.

"Well, even I can be wrong sometimes." Scar said and looked at the three lions up there, looking at them too.

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"I just want to …" Simba growled, he now stood next to his mate - whohad never seen him more ready for a fight than he was now.

"Calm down, please? There's something changed in him…" she said back, but not really sure if she trusted herself this time. She had been wrong before...

"No there isn't… he's fooling you – Athari or Nala? You keep going from 'he's alright' to 'he's insane'. You must decide!" Simba said and she sighed, and glanced at Kovu. Those were his cubs, and his mate – but he hadn't seen them be born, and there was another lion with her.

"I don't know what to believe…" Kovu said to himself, and Simba pushed his queen away and looked at the young lion.

"She must decide too… and there is no way I'll make her choose that lunacy!" Simba said and walked down towards the other two. The queen shook her head, bewildered. Then she understood that this was bound to happen. They had to fight, someone had to die to end all this…

"Kiara, are you alright?" her father asked when he reached the other end of the chamber. Scar stood next to her, watching over.

"Dad… I am doing just fine, I can take care of myself…" Kiara said, a bit annoyed. He had used the same worried voice, the one he also used when she was a cub and he was afraid something would happen to her. Like she was still a cub, and she was a mother now!

"I'm not so sure about that…" Simba growled to Scar, who straightened up.

"She can make her own decisions now – don't need daddy to tell her everything!" Scar said, and looked at the young lioness who looked a bit anxious.

"But it seems that 'daddy' needs to tell you a thing or two!" the King moved closer to Scar, who realized he couldn't step backwards – for there was the wall. He made a quick jump to the side and stood in the open middle of the of the chamber a few moments later.

"You always thought you were so wise – just can't wait to be king, right? Well, then you know how I've felt all my life!" Scar said, anger in his voice and the entire being.

"You're twisted…" Simba moved around, facing his uncle again.

"Then we all are! Even your mate is!" Scar looked at the queen, who still stood in the entrance with Kovu – they hadn't moved. The two male lions in the middle began to walk around each other in circles, and the queen closed her eyes; 'this must not be happening…' she wished, and opened her eyes again. But they were still ready for the battle.

Simba made the first move, but Scar was quick and crept down – the other lion jumped over him, landing on the other side. Scar smiled to him, arrogantly. But Simba did not let him have a pause, and ran towards him like a wilderbeast would attack someone trying to steal their young… with a grin Scar took two quick steps to the side, making Simba run past him again. The other three lions looked very bewildered, and Kiara let herself loose from the cubs, gathering them in a corner together away from the fight.

"Stop it!" she shouted, but it seemed that the two males were unable to hear her. And it was so strange to see this, it always looked like Scar was in charge of the situation! They jumped around, and yet Simba had not touched the elder lion just once. He kept moving away, making Simba seem like a fool to this.

"You… can't go on like this forever…" Simba said through his breath.

"Sure? I'm not tired at all… but you appear to be…" Scar walked around his nephew in circles, who stood still a bit to catch his breath. He felt he was winning this fight, without even doing one single, combating move. He looked at Kiara, who seemed very confused – but tried to send her a glance saying 'don't worry'.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

The queen was getting a bit tired with this, it seemed like the socalled battle would never end. Why wouldn't Scar just stand still and fight, why did he… 'wait a minute..' she suddenly thought, realizing why he wasn't fighting; he couldn't fight! He was old, he had never been strong and with his age he was weaker than ever. He could never win…

"Simba!" she called, and her mate looked up at her. She took a few steps down towards him, and he went to her too – not turning his back on Scar though, he learned that much. He finally stood, looking her in the eyes. "This will never end… unless you do something… someone must die, you know it!" she said, her voice low and careful. But Kovu heard it and looked from the present to the past king. Someone had to die… if a new king was to climb the throne, the old king had to die – Scar told him that, it was a tradition and it had to be kept. Traditions were important. He looked across the chamber to Kiara, watching her father, her mother and her… what was Kovu? He strode past Simba and down to the future queen.

"Kovu…" she said, lowering her head like she was somewhat embarressed. He smiled, a vague smile, to her.

"Love is never wrong, and so it never dies… do you remember?" he asked, and she nodded – a tear shining in the corner of her eye. "Is it still your dream?"

"I'm not sure I understand…" she whispered, actually telling the truth. She looked at Scar, who stood alone, watching everyone – but especially her.

"Will we still create our own world? Or… do you want the one you belong to?" Kovu asked, and glanced back at Simba, who had turned around. He knew he couldn't fight now, that there was a pause – but he wasn't sure why.

"The pride… I must become queen of Pride Rock." Kiara explained.

Kovu nodded with a sigh, but looked determined; next he turned around, and wandered out in the circle in the middle of the chamber – the place for fight. He looked up and saw the stars there, 'it is bound to happen' he said to the old kings, inside himself. Then Kovu looked up, and did not send Scar, Kiara, his cubs or the present queen a single look. He only looked at Simba.