Chapter 15

Meanwhile in the Pride Lands, Shenzi had unfortunately turned Kovu into something like the old Scar. Instead of being nice and helpful to the animals in his kingdom, Kovu was cruel to them. For example, if someone mistreated him, then the hyenas would eat that animal. If Kovu had been a good king a few years before, then he definitely wasn't anymore.

One day, Vitani paced around cave at the foot of Pride Rock, which had once belonged to Scar. Kiara watched her moves with a worried expression.

"Vitani, you can't go!" Kiara told her. "Could you imagine what the hyenas would do if they found out you were gone?"

"Anything they do to me would be better than standing my brother's rule!" Vitani grumbled.

"But what if you can't find my family?" her friend asked. "You lived in the Outlands for half of your life! You know how dreadful that place is!"

"That's where your wrong, Kiara!" Vitani exclaimed. "I know of some pride members who escaped to the Outlands. True, they didn't get far without the hyenas catching them…but they saw it! It's a better place now!"

Kiara still looked unsure. Vitani sighed, and lay down beside her queen. She looked in her friend's paws, and gave a small smile. "He's so beautiful, Kiara."

In Kiara's paws lay a tiny cub. It had his mother's eyes, nose, and tail, but had the fur of his father…Kovu.

"I couldn't imagine what would happen if Kovu found Kijari," Kiara whispered, choked up by the words. "How could he not want a son?"

"I'm afraid my brother is so convinced that he'll live forever," Vitani told her. She sighed again. "You're like a sister to me, Kiara, and it's hard for me to leave. I'll try not to be gone long."

She nuzzled Kiara, and then licked her nephew. She then left the cave, and headed towards the Outlands border.

Vitani walked through the Pride lands, disappointed in it's state. She may have been a baby when Scar ruled, but she could tell that this was much worse. Bones leftover from the hyena's meals were scattered all over. The soil was parched from drought, and there was little plant life. As she walked, she past several hyenas, who all growled at her. Thankfully, none of them had the power to force her back to Pride Rock.

Vitani jumped down a few steep cliffs, and into the Elephant Graveyard. The entry to the Outlands through Rafiki's tree was heavily guarded, and the walls were too tall. This was the only way out.

As Vitani walked through the lands, she couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. That's impossible! she thought. The hyenas hate this place…they couldn't be here. That didn't stop her from looking around her often, just to make sure she didn't see anyone. But then…

"AAAH!"

Vitani looked around, but didn't see anyone-

With a thud, Nuka landed on Vitani.

"Let me at him!" the lion shouted, and started smacking Vitani's head.

"Ow!" Vitani yelped. She looked up, and saw who was attacking her. "Nuka?"

"That's King Nuka to you, you little rat!" Nuka exclaimed.

"Nuka- ow!" Vitani growled. "It's me- ow! Vitani!"

Nuka stopped smacking his sister and gaped. "Vitani? It's my sister!" he shouted. "I've missed you so much!"

Nuka pulled the lioness into a bone-breaking hug, licking her all over.

"Yes Nuka, I've missed you too!" Vitani gagged. "Now get off me!"

"Oh, sorry!" Nuka let go of her. "So…why are we in the Elephant Graveyard?"

"I'm trying to get out of the Pride Lands," Vitani tried to explain.

"Out of the Pride Lands?" Nuka repeated, confused. "I don't understand…"

Vitani groaned. "Long story short- Kovu's an awful king, the hyenas have power, and I'm going to the Outlands to find Simba."

"Back up…Kovu sucks, and you want Simba?" Nuka asked. "What is going on here?!"

"Shut up!" Vitani growled. "Now come on. We better leave before-"

"Before what?"

The two siblings turned around to see Shenzi, coming out from behind a rock.

"You're just not going to give up, are you Vitani?" Shenzi sighed. And now you're bringing your pathetic boyfriend along with you…"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Vitani snapped.

"And I'm not pathetic!" Nuka protested. "I should be your leader!"

"Right…" Shenzi remarked, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know when, Shenzi, but someday you'll learn that you made a big mistake when you made Kovu go bad." Vitani growled.

"A mistake?" Shenzi spluttered. "After all Kovu's done for us? Yeah right!" She turned around, and called out, "Banzai! Ed!"

The two hyenas appeared from their hiding place.

"Yes, Shenzi?"

"Take Vitani to the Detention Pride." Shenzi ordered, glaring at the lioness. "She obviously hasn't learned her lesson."

"Two hyenas?" Nuka snickered. "That's her escort?"

"True…that isn't much…" Shenzi agreed. "Boys!"

Eight more hyenas jumped from their hiding places and surrounded Shenzi.

"I think that's enough." Shenzi, said grinning. "And take Scruffy here too."

"I am not scruffy!" Nuka called out, as he was pulled away by the hyenas.

Shenzi shook her head, and started to leave, but decided to take a walk around her old home. She looked around and saw things like the giant elephant skull, and the ribcage that Simba and Nala had gotten stuck in when they were cubs.

She then heard a strange noise, which sounded like running water… Weird…Shenzi thought. I didn't think there was any water in the Graveyard…

She walked a little further, and sure enough, there was water falling to the ground, shooting up from the ledge above her. She climbed up the rocks, and was surprised to find a large pile of breaking logs. It was part of a dam, but it looked ready to break at any second. She looked behind the logs, and sure enough, there was a long, wide stream of water, ready to break through…

"SIRE!"

Kovu had been sleeping in the cave at Pride Rock, but woke up at once when Shenzi burst in.

"What is wrong with you, Shenzi?" the king snapped. "Can't you see that I'm trying to take a nap?"

"Apologies, Kovu, but I think the dam is going to break!" the hyena exclaimed.

Kovu groaned, and got up. "Shenzi, that old dam breaks all the time!" he growled. "It's nothing…new…"

He looked out from the cave entrance. In the distance, near the border, he saw a large body of water. He could see that it was already overflowing.

Kovu stared at Shenzi for a few seconds, and then gave her a wicked smile.

"Amazing how convenient this is…"

"Convenient!?" Shenzi gasped. "It's going to flood! Everyone in the Pride Lands is in danger!"

"And that is where you're wrong…" Kovu told her, his smile getting wider by the second.. He walked to the edge of Pride Rock, to get a better look. "By what I see, it's going to flood into the Outlands."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Kovu replied. He looked out towards the Outlands, the kingdom he had wanted to destroy for a long time. He thought there was absolutely no reason to care about the place, so the only thing to do was to get rid of it. Not to mention…no Outlands meant no Simba to take his power away…

"Those Outsiders will be sorry they ever lived."

Hey, i'm getting good at long chapters! Just don't expect another chapter till tomorrow, since my dad will be home soon, and the disk the story's on only works on his computer! And since i need it for both stories now...goodbye till tomorrow!