Chapter 18

"I shouldn't have ever let that traitor rule my kingdom!"

"Simba, you can't blame everything on Kovu," Mufasa told his son trying to calm him down. "You didn't know that the hyenas could control him like this."

"Our mother taught us to fight back!" Vitani said bitterly. "You'd think he could ignore a few hyenas…"

Everyone had been introduced to one another, and Kiara and Vitani had just told of Kovu's doings in the Pride Lands. As expected, no one was too happy with the news.

"Will everyone stop fighting?" Kiara growled. "There is no way we could take back control without a plan?"

"A plan?" Timon repeated. The meerkat ran outside for a moment, and soon returned with a twig. "What do you all have in mind?"

"We'll have to spilt into groups," Simba told him. "Group 1 is Dad, Scar, Kimba, Kayla, and Nuka. They will find Kovu and the hyenas."

Timon drew out doodles of the five lions in the dust.

"You forgot the scar," Scar pointed out.

"Picky, picky, picky…" Timon grumbled, as he drew a slash over Scar's picture.

"Group 2 will be Timon and Pumbaa," Simba continued. "They will drive the hyenas away from Pride Rock."

Timon drew a picture of a pig, and a little scribble beside it.

"Is that you?" Kayla laughed.

"Of course not!" Timon protested. "I was thinking we'd use Binti as bait."

"TIMON!"

"All right, all right!" Timon groaned. He brushed the scribble away with his paw.

"Group 3 is Nala, Vitani, Kiara, Kijari, and Binti, and I," Simba finished. "We will assemble the lionesses, and find Kovu's so-called Detention Pride."

"Can I switch with Binti?" Timon asked.

"Nice try, Timon," Binti told him with a smirk.

Simba smiled and said, "I'm on Toby's side for that one. Now let's move out!"

At the foot of Pride Rock, Timon and Pumbaa watched the sleeping hyenas, deciding what to do.

"It would be so much easier if we could use Binti…" Timon muttered.

"Timon, that's awful!" Pumbaa exclaimed.

"Shush!" Timon snapped. "You'll wake them up."

"But what are me supposed to do?" Pumbaa whispered. "Is it 'Yee-ha!' again?"

"Nah…" Timon replied. "the hyenas aren't scare of your stench like the Outsiders."

"Oh…HEY!"

"Consider it a complement!" Timon told him.

"Well…we don't have your family, so that doesn't help…"

"Hey, I can do anything without Max and Ma's help!" Timon protested.

"Then what's the plan?"

"Well Pumbaa…" Timon sighed "When nothing lies between you and a bunch of mangy beasts, there is only one thing to do…"

"Live Bait."

Meanwhile, Group 2 was making their way up Pride Rock. Outside the main cave, they saw many of the hyenas, walking around, looking for food. At the entrance, they saw Kovu and Shenzi, laying side by side. Kovu was dangling Zazu by his tail, threatening to feed him to the hungry hyenas. The group snuck behind a rock, and watched the pathetic sight.

"Come on, get the birdie!" Kovu sneered. "You're all starving, aren't you?"

"Oh please Sire!" Zazu sobbed. "Don't let them eat me! I really don't taste that good…"

"Drop it already!" one hyena yelled. "We're all starving!"

Behind the rock, Scar couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even he wasn't this harsh when he was king…"

"It's just as I feared…" Scar whispered. "Kovu is exactly like me!"

"Hold yourself together, Scar!" Mufasa growled. "We need you!"

Kimba and Kayla, on the other hand, we're watching Kovu with curiosity, rather than fear.

"So that's our father…" Kayla told her brother. She put much emphasis on the scar on Kovu's face, almost a copy of Scar's. "Wow…no wonder Scar can't do this!"

"Scar, he does look and act a lot like you," Kimba told the old lion. "But you're one of us now! You made the plan, so you have to lead!"

Scar sighed, knowing that the young lion was right. "Hey hyenas!" he yelled over the rock. "Why do you want that bird?"

The hyenas looked around but didn't see anyone. "Because we're all starving!" one hyena called back. "Why else?"

"The bird won't feed all of you." Scar pointed out. "Just come over to the rock…"

All of the hyenas walked over to the giant rock. Shenzi stood up, just in case she needed to pounce.

"I heard Ahadi speak…" Zazu gasped, feeling hopeful. Being an old bird, his hearing wasn't as good as it used to.

"You did not!" Kovu growled, and the bird cowered in fear.

Shenzi wasn't paying attention to them, though. Although she didn't believe it, she recognized the voice easily, as if it were only yesterday…

Behind the rock, Scar got into a pouncing position.

"Get into position," he ordered the other lions.

"Are you saying that we have to- fight?" Kimba gasped

"What did you think your training was for?" Scar growled.

"Now that sounds like the old Scar." Mufasa sighed.

"Oh, now come on!" Nuka told him. "This should be fun…"

"They're coming!" Scar whispered. "Get ready…one… two… three!"

All five lions jumped from behind the rock and pounced onto the hyenas.

Group Three had assembled the entire pride, and now faced yet another pack of hyenas. Kiara stayed close to the side, making herself babysitter for both Kijari and Binti.

"Hey boys!" Vitani called to them.

Banzai and Ed looked at them, and growled. "Vitani, not a- Simba!" Banzai gasped, when he noticed who had returned.

"Hi, Banzai!" Simba greeted the hyena. "Did you miss me?"

"Attack!" Banzai yelled at once.

Vitani looked at the pride behind her. "You heard him ladies!" she called out, with a wink.

The lionesses attacked the hyenas, and the war officially began.

A little note...for the time being, Taka's Story will be on hiatus (just in case you were reading that). I'm planning to make two seperate endings for the stories, so you guys don't have to read the same thing twice. ;-) I will tell you that this story will be more pro-Kiara, but if you're a Simba fan, you aren't in much luck for either story...