I don't own any canon characters.
"There we go," Vitani said, as she and Nuka, with Kovu dangling by his scruff, crossed the boundary between the Pridelands and the Outlands, "home."
"Yeah," Nuka said, both relieved and pensive, "home."
"Why were you so scared anyway," Vitani asked, "they didn't do anything to us."
"No they didn't," Nuka replied, "but remember, I tried to kill the king."
"Oh yeah," Vitani said, suddenly remembering, then smiled, "still, we got it done."
"Yeah," Nuka said, not cheering up, "but don't tell mother about this."
"why's that," Vitani asked, "I mean, what could she do?"
"I don't want to think about it," Nuka replied, remembering the feeling of his mother's claws being extracted from his skull.
Vitani gave her brother an odd look, but then decided it might be better to leave him for now. "So, Kovu," she said with a mischievous smile, "what was it with you and the princess."
"Huh," Kovu asked, "oh, she's alright."
"Just alright," Vitani asked.
"Yeah, just alright" Kovu replied, "eats a lot too."
"Greedy bunch aren't they," Vitani asked.
"Um," Kovu said, unsure how to reply, "I, I don't know, they get a lot too."
"Yep, greedy," Vitani said. unsure of what else to say, Kovu kept quiet
"You took your time," Zira said severely, when they'd arrived back.
"Yeah, er, we did," Nuka said, unable to bring himself to mention why "they were really careful."
"Well, at least you made it," Zira said, making a rare concession of concern and relief for her eldest child. She then seemed to concentrate, and said, "now, a fitting revenge... ...a fitting revenge..." After several seconds, she said, "ah, I have it."
"Yes," Nuka asked, wanting to appear loyal.
"You will go and steal the princess," Zira said, then grinned, "and let us see how Simba likes it."
"Yeah, okay," Nuka said, glad Zira was too busy concentrating on working out the fine details of the plan to pay much attention to anything else, "er..."
"Yes," Zira asked, snapping back to reality, "is something wrong Nuka?"
"Oh, er, do we do this tomorrow," Nuka asked, just able to conceal the fact that, since his encounter with Simba, earlier in the day, he was somewhat reluctant to do anything against the king of the Pridelands.
"Of course not," Zira said scathingly, "they'll be far too careful."
"So, er..." Nuka began to ask.
"I'll tell you when," Zira said, "now, it's time to put Kovu to bed."
"Nuka, get up." Zira said, shaking him. It was just after sunrise on the tenth morning after they'd brought Kovu back, and long enough, she judged, for everything to have settled down.
"Hm, wh..." Nuka asked jerking awake, and looking at his mother, "it's today?"
"Yes," Zira said, smirking, "it's today."
"Oh," Nuka said, half groaning, as he rolled to a crouch and rose.
"Is there something wrong Nuka," Zira asked.
"What," Nuka asked, "no there's nothing wrong mother, I'm just a bit tired." That was partly the truth, but only partly, the other part being that he still remembered that Simba had treated him at least decently, despite the fact that he'd played a willing part in a failed attempt on the king's life.
"See to it that it doesn't affect your performance today," Zira said, then walked away.
Nuka breathed a sigh of relief at appearing to have kept his true feelings secure for now. "Do we uh, do we get breakfast first," he asked.
"Do so," Zira said, "they'll be out all day, they always are." Nuka noticed a touch of disapproval in her voice, but didn't comment on it, and instead, went off to find breakfast
"Oh, you're up" Vitani said, glancing up as Nuka walked in, "ready for our mission."
"Yeah, I'm ready," Nuka replied, though less enthusiastically than was normal for carrying our Zira's bidding
"What's wrong," she asked.
"Nothing's wrong," Nuka lied unconvincingly.
"Nuka," Vitani said warningly.
"I'm fine," Nuka said, a little more irritated than normal.
"Aw, come on," Vitani said, "you know I won't tell mom."
"Vitani," Nuka said, his irritation more than evident now, "there is nothing wrong."
"Okay, have it your way," Vitani said, shrugging. She then turned to something behind her, and, smiling, said, "of course, you know mother's gonna kill you if you muck this up."
"Yeah, I know," Nuka said, the irritation in his voice being partly replaced by worry. Vitani waited to see if he was going to break, but, he didn't, and instead made the best of a meagre breakfast.
"You're still here," Zira asked a few minutes later, when she arrived for her own breakfast.
"Yeah er, we'll be getting along now," Nuka said, grinning worriedly, "c'mon 'tani, let's go." Together, the pair left in the direction of the Pridelands.
Zazu was concerned. It was turning out to be quite a nice day, both with the weather, and with the fact that there didn't seem to be any great conflicts of interest going on at the moment, but for some reason, Simba was acting unusually troubled. Finally, he was concerned enough to ask, "is there anything wrong sire?"
"I don't know," Simba replied distractedly, "there's nothing I can be sure of, but..."
"But..." Zazu asked after several seconds, "is there something you'd like me to check on sire?"
"What else have I got to deal with this morning," Simba asked.
"Well er, the hippos and the buffalo are arguing over the wallows," Zazu replied, a little shaken, "and the dogs are angry that the warthogs are getting in the way of their hunting, oh, and the giraffes and the elephants are arguing over feeding rights at that stand of trees north of the water hole." He waited a moment, then asked again, "is there something you'd like me to check on sire?"
"Yes," Simba replied, "I'd like to check on Kiara."
"As you wish sire," Zazu said, leaving. "I don't know what he saw in those two anyway," he muttered as he searched for Kiara, and hopefully, Timon and Pumbaa, "I mean, certainly they raised him, but the jungle was much safer, and they haven't exactly proven to be reliable."
He paused, remembering his own experiences as a babysitter, and comparing them to what Timon and Pumbaa had said about Simba's early time, but, as he'd found before, comparison became impossible in the face of the stampede Scar had triggered off.
The memory of the stampede, and of Simba and Mufasa fighting for their lives in it, brought Zazu back to reality. Realising he'd been thinking instead of searching, he mentally told himself off, and concentrated on finding princess Kiara.