After a very long time (sorry) I have come up with yet another chapter. Truth is I have no idea where this story is going lol. I may write a story with a better plan in a similar style to "never too old never too different" next. This is going to be either the last, second last or third last chapter (that's how unorganised I am!)

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The day was drawing to an end and after interviewing a few more applicants the stress was getting to Nala so she decided that she had finished interview birds for the day and took over watching her cubs who were all overdue for a good feed anyway.

Kiara had left to join the hunting party as she herself was feeling hungry and knew if they had not caught anything yet the day they would need all the help they could get. Kovu decided to assist Simba with the few remaining applicants who were now thankfully few in number.

Xx

The next applicant was a Spotted Eagle Owl who despite looking quite tired was able to fly in majestically and make a perfect landing at the King and Princes paws.

"So you've come for the position of Major-Domo have you?' asked Kovu, trying very hard to sound official and Kingly, perhaps slightly over doing it

"Indeed I have," replyed the Owl with a respectful bow. "In fact I have been looking forward to this for quite some time so I woke up early to be here, I would have preferred the interview be at midnight but understand that would be unsuitable for you."

"Don't you think you being nocturnal may make it difficult for you to do morning reports and daytime messages?" inquired Simba.

"Well, I did take that into consideration but as I live alone and have no family ties or commitments I could always give sleeping at night a go, who knows? Maybe I will like the daytime," replyed the owl thoughtfully.

"Well it definitely sounds like your keen!" said Simba who for the first time in a while smiled thinking he had finally found a bird who sounds both sensible and able bodied, he was almost ready to hire him on the spot as he was too tired and bored of interviewing birds to bother doing much more, when suddenly the owl seemed distracted and with a screech raised himself into the air and shot like a bullet after something which was just outside the cave

"AHHHHHH!"

The familiar scream sent a sense of shock through Simba's body.

"Oh no that sounded like Timon!" Thought Simba, "what's he doing here?"

The scream was followed but a thud and another very familiar voice squealing "Are you okay Timmy?"

Simba and Kovu then rush outside to find a very dazed Timon sitting on the ground with Ma fussing about around him, not far away from a worried looking Pumbaa, a surprised Zazu and Rafiki lowering his stick tending to the Owl who now had a small bump on his head and a very angry and confused expression.

"What was that for!" demanded the owl, who was still a little woozy from being hit on the head.

"Trying to knock some manners into you," joked Rafiki, "Don't you know dat it's very rude to eat the Kings friends?"

"Friends?" spluttered the owl, who was now able to stand up, which caused the meerkats to quickly rush towards Pumbaa for safety.

Simba who decided to now make his presence known answered "Yes friends, if you are to become advisor you must not harm them."

"Actually I think it's quite rude to harm anyone who walks up to the cave of Pride Rock, especially those lower on the food chain as unless they are suicidal it is unlikely they would approach the lions without bearing important news or information," cut in Zazu perching himself on Simba's shoulder.

"Right as always Zazu," smiled Simba, realising how much he had missed him.

"Well, are their any other friends I should know about," questioned the owl, his eyes still fixed on the meerkats menacingly. His charming manner was fading, his gaze was so focused on the meerkats with the only the occasional glances towards the King. One could easily see the hunger in his eyes. He started strolling around Rafiki trying to look casual but it was obvious he was, perhaps just instinctively, suttely still stalking them as he neared the warthog.

Simba was of course use to the surprise from other carnivores when his friends were introduced, in fact when the pride first saw Timon and Pumbaa they had thought the new King had come baring food after they had suffered the long period of scarcity, however once they had been told these were his friends most of the lionesses immediately stopped looking at them as snacks despite their own starvation.

"These are my only non-carnivore friends…..however if I do need to send you on messages to any group of creatures no matter how small, you must not devour any, or their groups while on royal business," explained Simba thinking about what this bird would do if he were to deliver a message to the oasis.

"So I would be told where all these groups of animals live…" said the owl with a little too much enthusiasm for comfort.

"For business purposes," explained Simba.

"Then I were to say, go back the next night without royal orders, there would be nothing wrong with hunting?" inquired the owl.

"There most certainly would be!" bursted out Zazu leaving his perch to flap about in front of the spotted owl, amazed that this bird would even ask such a thing. "That would be using the information given to you for the good of the pride lands to your own advantage, waiting outside say a…mouse hole, which you had been told the location of for royal business would lessen the respect of the subjects towards the rulers of this land and give the prey animals a grave disadvantage."

"It's all part of the circle of life," argued the Owl smugly.

"The circle of life, does involve death so other can live," explained Rafiki, gently nudging Zazu aside so he could stand directly in front of the applicant. "However neither predator nor prey may have an advantage as this would throw the circle off balance causing harm to all."

"We appreciate you coming, but I see that you may be easily tempted to take advantage of information given to you, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," stated Simba, noticing the bird although listening had still seldomly taken his eyes off the smaller animals.

Kovu, expected the owl to make a fuss over this and stepped back expecting a screeching match however, to his surprise the owl, only nodded and took off into the night sky.

Xx

"Whoa," exclaimed Timon whist they all entered the den, "Glad he's gone!"

"He didn't hurt you did he?" asked Simba, bending to the meerkats level to see if there were any scratches."

"Nope, monkey boy here knocked the wind out of him before that evil bird he could sink a talon in me," smiled Timon.

"Not, evil," said Rafiki, waving his staff over the meerkats head to get his attention "just hungry."

Night had now officially come, and it had seemed that the owl in his sudden dive outside had scared all of the other birds away who were obviously lower than him on the food chain. The group walked over to where Nala was sitting with the cubs now fast asleep beside her.

"So what brings you to the Pride Lands?" asked Nala in a low voice so as not to awaken the cubs.

"Rafiki, invited us," explained Pumbaa.

"Howdid you get the message to them when there is no messenger?" inquired Simba to Rafiki.

"I asked my friend," answered Rafiki, motioning his staff to the cave entrance, where the others could make out the silhouette of something, something big.

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Ok not a very exciting cliffhanger, actually I wouldn't really call it that at all, but now I'm guessing there is going to be most likely only one chapter to go : ) I'm not overly happy with this chapter, but it does the job (I think) sorry if there is too much talk of the importance of respecting royal information, but I always thought that would be important as when you think about it, it would really give them an unfair advantage. Yay by popular demand Ma (a.k.a Maha which is what I named her which means "beautiful eyes") and Zazu are back! Please review and don't be too harsh : )