I don't own any canon characters.
Kovu fell silent. He stood still, terrified, as he heard Simba circling him. The king's breathing was heavy, angry.
After several minutes, Simba said, "I think you'd better tell me the whole story." Kovu didn't move a muscle, so the king barked, "now!" This time he nodded, but when he tried to speak, all that emerged was a thin whine. "And look at me," the king commanded.
Kovu opened his eyes a fraction to see Simba standing in front of him. He opened his eyes fully, and saw that, while the king was angry, very much so, he was also in control of himself. "Well," He asked, abruptly.
"I, I'm sorry sire," Kovu stammered, "Zira's plan was that I was to save Kiara's life to gain your favour, then kill you." After a few moments he added, "but, but I can't do it, not now."
"And why is that," Simba asked, his tone cold and hard.
"I, it would hurt Kiara," Kovu said, hanging his head, "it would hurt Kiara, and I can't do that."
"You have feelings for my daughter," Simba asked.
"Y-yes sire," Kovu replied, "I, I think I love her, sire."
Simba glared at Kovu. The younger lion had only known his daughter two days, less, in fact. Could he already love her, and what feelings did she have for him, did she love him as he allegedly loved her. Could he trust this outsider who'd just admitted a plot on his life, could he afford not to trust him... "tell me then," he finally said, "how can I trust you, how can I trust anything you say?"
Kovu looked taken aback for a moment. "Sire, please," he said weakly, "I, I swear, it's the truth."
Simba thought for a moment, then said, "we shall have to see about that." Turning and heading in the direction of Pride Rock, he said, "come with me." Kovu obediently followed.
When they reached Pride Rock, most of the lionesses noticed both Simba's and Kovu's attitudes, and gazed accusingly at the young, dark lion. "Simba," Nala said coming over to him, "what's wrong, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Simba replied, "whether Kovu will stay that way is a different matter."
"Why, what's wrong," Nala asked, then looked back at Kovu, "what's going on Simba?"
"I'll tell you later," Simba replied.
"Dad, Kovu," Kiara said, "what's going on here?"
"Kiara, come with us," Simba said, then turned to Kovu, and said, "and you too." With that, he turned and began to descend Pride Rock.
"Simba, Nala called to him, "what's going on?"
"Like I said, I'll tell you later," Simba replied, and continued descending, the two younger lions following.
Nala went over to Sarafina, and said, "mother, do you understand what's going on?"
"A little, I think," Sarafina replied, "and believe me, if it's what I think it is, it's probably better you don't know."
"Father, what's going on," Kiara asked, as they headed away from Pride Rock. Simba didn't reply, so she turned to Kovu, and asked, "what's going on?"
"Believe me, you won't like the answer," Kovu replied, "you really won't."
"Tell me anyway," Kiara said, "I can take it."
"Kiara, no," Kovu said.
"Kovu, yes," Kiara said, more insistently.
"I think it would be better to wait till we've got where we're going," Kovu said, then looked forward at Simba, "wherever that is."
Soon enough, they arrived at a particularly large old baobab tree. "Rafiki," Simba called up.
Rafiki came into view, and called down, "yes Simba."
"I could use your help on something," Simba said, then glanced at Kovu, "or someone."
"But of course," Rafiki said, grabbing his staff and descending.
"Kovu, what's going on," Kiara asked worriedly.
"I, I was part of Zira's plan," Kovu replied, "one of her plans to kill Simba."
"No," Kiara said, "no, it's not true, please, it can't be true."
"It, was," Kovu replied, "but not anymore."
"Why, Kovu," Kiara asked, "why at all?"
"I, it's the way I was raised," Kovu replied mournfully, "all my life I was raised to hate Simba, to hate Pridelanders, and all for a lie, for a lot of lie."
"Lies," Kiara asked, concerned, "what king of lies?"
"Well, they weren't all lies," Kovu admitted, "there were a lot of half-lies as well, and a good load of repressed truth."
"What lies," Kiara asked, "what truth, Kovu, what are you talking about?"
Kovu looked indecisive for a moment, then glanced at Simba. Kiara noticed this, and also turned. "Father, what's going on," she asked.
"I honestly don't know," Simba replied, "Kovu?"
Kovu didn't reply for several seconds, then, in a mournful voice replied, "I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean, you don't know what to do," Kiara asked worriedly, "are you feeling alright?"
"No, no I'm not," Kovu replied, "I, I know now why though."
"Why, then," Kiara asked, "what's wrong?"
"Zira will stop at nothing to destroy Simba, and you, and I can't let her do that," Kovu replied, "but if I try to stop her..." He paused for a moment, then continued, "if I try to stop her, I'll destroy the Outlanders, and I can't let that happen either."
"Oh," Kiara said, "oh, Kovu, I'm sorry." She then turned to Simba, and said, "father, can, can you do something?"
"I only wish I could," Simba replied, then watched Kiara turn back to comfort Kovu. "Rafiki," he asked, "what do you think of this?"
"He'll have to find his way, alone," Rafiki said, then gave Simba a sideways glance, "the same way you did."
Simba nodded. He still wasn't quite sure he could trust Kovu, but then again, the younger lion's conflict seemed genuine. "Are you sure there's nothing you can do for him," he asked.
"I think I can do something," Rafiki said, then moved over to Kovu and Kiara.
Kovu was getting more depressed, and continued to mutter, "what do I do, I don't know what to do." It wasn't that he actually like many of the outsiders, at least, not personally, but Nuka and Vitani were his family, he just couldn't let them down, but neither could he bear to fail Kiara...
Kiara, for her part, wasn't speaking, but was hoping that her company alone was helping. They were both startled out of their thoughts when Rafiki came up and said, "you know, if you've got a problem, you can always bring it to old Rafiki."
"Yeah," Kovu asked despondently, "but what do I do, how can I stop this becoming open war?"
"You don't," Rafiki replied.
"What," Kovu asked, "but..."
"Some problems have to come out into the open," Rafiki said.
"Yeah," Kovu half-admitted, "but I can't do it alone, and if I bring together, there's going to be a war."
"So sure of that are you," Rafiki asked.
"Yes," Kovu replied, "I mean, to most of them, I'm Zira's dream, they won't list-en..." He stopped to think, then his expression changed to something between relief ands uncertainty. "Would it work," he said, more-or-less to himself.
"Would what work," Kiara asked, perplexed at the sudden change in Kovu.
"Hm," Kovu asked, "oh, I think I just figured it out."