I don't own any canon characters.
"I can't believe it," Timon complained, as he and Pumbaa searched for Kiara, "we lost her again." He waited a moment, then muttered, "oh boy, Simba is gonna kill us for this."
Pumbaa refrained from commenting on Timon's manic attitude, being too busy searching for Kiara. He knew Timon was overstating the danger they were in, but he certainly wasn't interested in incurring Simba's wrath, and he knew that if they didn't find the young princess, it wouldn't be only the wrath of their long-time friend, turned king that they'd face either...
Though they didn't know it, they were almost on top of princess Kiara, who was no more than a few dozen metres away. Like her father before her, like any adventurous cub, she wasn't happy with being insulated from the dangers beyond which her parents refused to let her stray.
Kiara smiled to herself, having yet again escaped the presence of Timon and Pumbaa, who, though nice, were a lot more protective of her than they had been of her father, Simba. It didn't seem fair to her that her father had been allowed to have so much fun, while he was so, well, un-fun with her.
She knew the story of the stampede that had claimed the life of her grandfather, and nearly her father, but to her, it was story as distant as the great kings of the past. She didn't know that her father had been nearly killed by Zira, she didn't even know the lioness herself, but she knew that at one point, her father had been really angry at a lioness, and driven her out, but she hadn't connected it, with Kovu's mother, yet.
She heard a sound behind her, and turned to look. she didn't hear anything for several seconds, and was about to turn back when the sound came again. It sounded like rustling grass, which meant only one thing, someone was close by. "Who's there," she asked.
No-one answered, but the rustling came again, faster, and a little louder. There was also, what might have been an urgent whispering though she wasn't sure. "Hello," she said, beginning to wonder what it was that was rustling. Before she could investigate though, she was attacked and pinned to the ground. "Wh-what..." she asked, "what's going on.
There was some more rustling, then a voice said, "okay 'tani, you can get off now."
Kiara was unpinned, and allowed to rise. Looking around, she immediately recognised her attackers. "Hey," she said, "you're those two who came for Kovu."
"Vitani smiled nastily and said, "yeah, that's us."
"Where's Kovu," Kiara asked.
"At home," Nuka replied distractedly.
"So why're you here," Kiara asked.
"I really didn't want to do this," Nuka muttered, as he leaned towards Kiara.
"Didn't want to do what," Kiara asked, then, feeling teeth close around her scruff, said, "hey, what're you doing?" there was no reply, but Vitani was still grinning nastily at her, then she felt herself being lifted up, "hey, what, put me down."
"Wish I could princess," Nuka muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, "really, I wish I could."
"You're coming with us," Vitani said nastily.
"'tani," Nuka said, warningly.
"What," Vitani asked looking at her brother slightly offendedly, "she's a Pridelander."
"Yeah," Nuka said, "but just shut up about it, okay?"
"Okay," Vitani said, "geez, what's got you?"
"Maybe later," Nuka said.
Kiara had been listening to Nuka and Vitani argue, trying to think of ways out, but she couldn't think of any, so she suddenly started calling as loud as she could, "hey, help, somebody help!"
"Shut up, princess," Nuka growled, but knew the damage was already done. A few moments later, the grass parted, and out stepped Timon and Pumbaa, who froze.
"What are you doing with the princess," Timon asked after several seconds, sounding determined and threatening.
It was several more seconds before anything else happened, at which point, Nuka moved forward, swiped at Pumbaa's eyes, though intentionally pulling short, before turning and running, with Vitani a moment behind.
Pumbaa cringed at Nuka's swipe, but recovered quickly, and raced off after the cubs. "C'mon Pumbaa," Timon said, when they didn't seem to be gaining on Nuka, having lost track of Vitani in the grass, "I know you can go faster than this."
"Sorry buddy," Pumbaa managed between gasps, "I'm full out."
Unbeknownst to both chasers and chased, Zazu had spotted them and left to warn Simba.
The chase continued on into the Outlands, and ended quickly, as coming around yet another blind corner, a lioness appeared and swiped Pumbaa into a rock, knocking him clean out. Timon fainted a moment later, when the lioness mock charged.
"Sire, sire," Zazu said, flying in.
"Yes, what is it," Simba asked urgently.
"Kiara has just been stolen by the Outlanders sire," Zazu replied, "those cu..."
"Go and tell the lionesses," Simba said, then raced off.
"Y-yes sire," Zazu called after him, and though he couldn't possible hear, he said, "and good luck." Without another pause, he set off to find the lionesses.
Simba worried as he headed into the Outlands, would Kiara still be alive, merely imprisoned, or would they already have killed her. Realising quickly what these kinds of thought would do, he banished them from his mind.
Looking around, he realised he was getting lost. He'd rarely visited these barren areas before the split. Watching out for ambushes, he wandered deeper into the Outlands.
Some time later, Simba had come to a more open area. The smell of lionesses was stronger here, along with other signs of their presence. He knew he was closer to finding Kiara now, but there was still a lot to do.
As he wandered through the open area, Simba became aware that he was being watched. He couldn't see any of the watchers as yet, but he knew who they were. Just as he was about to pass what looked to have been a particularly large, but otherwise unremarkable mound, a voice from behind asked, "are you looking for someone, sire?"
Simba recognised the voice immediately, and even if he hadn't, the spiteful, taunting tone would have been big clues. "Zira," Simba said, turning, "what by the great kings of the past have you done with my daughter?"