I.

As the beginning of twilight fell,Kovu began making out the long rim of a row of reeds.His ears perked and he had the hopeful thought that Kiara would be there,waiting for him.

"You wanted my father gone all along."Those accusing words still ladened his mind with great pain and he dismissed the fantasy promptly after forethought.She was alive,he felt it.

And that was enough for now.

"I told you,"Tu suddenly appeared in front of him,sending a disarming smile at Kovu that he,himself,once was capable of."And I think we owe our majesty an apology,don't we?"

"A bit too full of ourselves suddenly,aren't we?"

The lion's smile dropped."That wasn't an invitation."

"Good,"Kovu said in a low,spiteful voice."I'd have refused."

"Look!"An animal exclaimed.

"WATER!"Another fairly screamed in delight.

A zebra colt neighed dryly and broke off from it's mother in an eager dash.The striped horse beckoned it back but in a state of extreme thirst it plantively disregarded the female.

Kovu moved forward and saw a few bubbles just beneath the surface of the water.What appeared to be a rock was a foot or so from the marsh's edge;he took immediate action.

"That rock,"his voice creaked with panic."It's a crocodile!"

Because Tu was closest to him he was first to know,just as Kovu was about to race forward the other lion cut him off in curt growl and sprinted toward the very oblivious baby colt.

The animals all watched as their king spiked his claws into the piercing brown eyes of the emerging gator.It released a pain-filled,gurgling noise and tried snapping at Tu's stomach.

More lionesses fled to the scene and kept the big,thrashing reptile from sinking it's teeth into their leader's flesh.After a terribly exhausting struggle,the animal was totally subdued.

Drained,they staggered over to the water and drank down great gulps.Kovu waited a moment and moved over to the edge himself to kneel down.Water filled his ebony nostrils as he drank for the first time in four days and he felt refreshed.

"Back off!"he was instantly shoved away and peered up at a rageful Tu through a partially dampened mane."You will wait for the lionesses and the other animals.Is that understood?"

"If you think I'm going to..."

Kovu looked over to notice Vitani was watching in a rather approving matter,she was on his side.The lion gave a slight begruding nod and stood off to the side with all of the rest.

There didn't need to be two incidents today.

"Protect each other,"Was Tu's order to them."And drink as much as you need,we move out first thing in the morning."

"What about food?"A elephant complained.

"Yes,our childrens' ribs are showing."A cheetah concured.

Tu appeared to contemplate this out a bit."If anymore of these things appear,feel free to feast on their remains and you giraffees and elephants will need to gather many food.

See all those reeds?Collect them,eat what you need to fill you and share them with the rest of the plant-consumers."

As immensely pleased murmurs rose from the Pridelanders, Kovu's attention drifed over to the lifeless body of the huge gator being eyed intently by many of the carnivores.There was a strange aura to the creature,a radiating white glow.

He watched as it formed a ball and sped across the water.

x.x.x

"Watch your step,these waters are crawling with crocks.But they mostly feed at dawn so we have an hour or so til' then."

Kiara paused from atop the fallens logs her and Kopa were travelling over when a sound reached her ears.It had been like a voice ringing out,a deep,hauntingly resounding noise.

"Hear that?"she whispered to her brother."It was a cry."

"Like,for help?"He stopped from ahead to ask in concern.

"I don't know,it was like a loud cry from far away."

"As a roar would sound if it echoed in a canyon?"

The lioness gave him a puzzle look."Yeah...so?"

"Soul light,"he told her,turning to walk closer with his jade eyes reflecting some elusive excitement."There's a legend that lost souls like to linger over the marsh water surface."

Kiara rolled her eyes and continued over the logs."Crazy..."

"Crazy enough to be true?"

"No,just crazy."she sighed as she gazed down to the water, her body still turned straight so she only saw half her face."I wonder what Kovu's doing now.He probably hates me for..."

The sight of Kopa made her trail off.

"What happened?"He encouraged.

"This is ridiculous,you must have somewhere better you can be than with a royal drop-out.All your time is being wasted."

The lion moved ahead of her and glared down into her eyes from a land rise."My time is never wasted."he pricked his ears and looked over his shoulder."Hey,I hear it too.It's moaning."

What started out as a high-pitched noise levelled gracefully off into a gentle wail that sent the lions to rushing over rises in the water and scattered logs to avoid touching the earth.

"Careful,"Kopa warned as they entered thick grass."Crocks."

Kiara stumbled through the bustling reeds,a sensation that was almost hypnotizing devoured at her desire as her paws landed in ankle-deep water.She had to have the knowledge.

The knowledge of whether she could move on or hang on.

An open pool of marsh water finally appraised her,beyond the reed-ringed enclosure stood yet another big night.This night would be the second one Kiara's parents were now absent.

"They always told me about the great kings,"she took a seat at the water's edge and set her eyes foward."I'm sure that my father is there,but what about queens?Where are they?"

"Keeping the kings company for eternity."Kopa tried joking.

Kiara remained silent.

"I'm sorry for your loss,I truly am."he came up to sit behind her."But you need to believe there's more beyond our sight."

She kept her gaze fixed.Looking down she would see half of her face missing,looking up she would see two shining stars. Stars that would represent an additional two lives in the sky.

"I can move foward outside and live in the past inside."

"You can't do that."Kopa argued incredulously.

"I can,"Kiara whirled on him definitely."And I will!"

His eyes flickered foward suddenly."Look."

Feeling safe to look in that direction,the lioness turned her head to see two orbs of burning luminescence before them.

"Fireflies."She said logically.

"No,"he corrected slowly."Soul light."

They were misty appearing around their white-swirling edges hovering a foot or two above the water.Kiara noticed in great curioisty they had no reflections from this distance,she looked up and saw that the sable canopy was starless but cloud-full.

"What in the...?"Kopa's jaw dropped."I know what Rafiki said was true,but I never knew it was so literal.Wow,look at that."

She turned forward again and saw that the balls of light were gaining definition,into what one could readily call the shape of an animal.An explosion of fog suddenly blanketed everything.

"Kopa!"Kiara turned to find they were shielded off.

He didn't reply back,whether inable to or unwilling she did not know.The same low moan came again and it seemed more to her a gentle hum then a vocal sound.The sound souls made?

"Oh my word,"she gasped as two shadows appeared clearly out of the fog,shaped with such familiarty she almost cried."I don't believe it...Mom?Daddy?Is it really you?Are you there!?"

"Kiara..."her father spoke softly."You must let go..."

"What?Daddy,I don't have to now.You're here with me."

"Let us go,Kiara.Live on as the new queen."Nala added.

"Can't we talk a moment?"she leapt into the water."There's so much I want to say before you go.Please,speak with me."

"The future of your kingdom is in jeopardy."Simba said."Go."

"Daddy,please..."Kiara besceeched the silohuette of a lion."I just want talk to you both normally.Tell me you still love me."

"Kiara?"Kopa's voice said somewhere from behind her.

"We will always."Promised Kiara's mother.

Always what?Always love me...?She thought desperately.

"Kiara,"her brother appeared beside her,half erased by the heaviness of the white blur around them."It looks as though your parents can't leave and they can't until you allow them."

"What if they could leave me,would they?"

"I don't know,but you have to accept their wishes."

"Of course."

Kopa held her gaze steadily."Than set them free."

"I don't want to!"She snarled at him stubbornly.

"Kiara..."Her parents spoke in unison and when she turned to them all she saw of them were their shadows,dark and bleak.

"They sound so unhappy."Kiara bowed her head."With me."

"I think they're unhappy for you."

A choking sob exited her throat and she looked up longingly for a moment,taking in the outline of her parents in the fog.

"Kovu needs me."she spoke firmly."So does my pride."

"And so does your kingdom."Kopa said.

Kiara watched as her parents looked at each other and put their heads on top of one another,then looked directly at her.

"That's my girl."Simba's voice echoed as they disappeared.

The fog began to dissipate at the ground and let up around them.When brother and sister looked forward again there lay an empty,murky pond and mystic blue overtaking the eastern sky.Kiara sighed resignedly before scaling up a trunk closeby.

"Like you said,"she told him."Crocks feast mostly at dawn."

II.

Kopa awoke the next morning to find Kiara had left the gnarly tree.Flexing his brown claws,the golden-brown lion bounded down from his perch and noticed her cleaning herself not far.

"Whoops,"he laughed nervously."Didn't mean to interupt."

She lifted her leg down and smiled over at him,her honey-hue cheeks tear stained and the sides of her cerise eyes crinkled.

"Um...something wrong?"

"No,for the first time somethings right."

"Okay,"Kopa further questioned."What's wrong?"

"It's not wrong,it's right.

"All right,what isn't wrong but is right?"He asked impatiently.

"I'm going to be a mother."

"Whoa,really?That's great!All the more reason to search out your pride."Kopa paused a moment from continuing on."That would make me a half-uncle and third cousin once removed."

Kiara laughed as both ventured out beyond the marshes.

To be continued...

A/N:A few more chapters left.The climax is really intense and then I will have one more after that.So,that's one chapter after this one (still deciding on it),the 8th chapter is the climax and the third is the aftermath.Also,Soul Lights actually exist in different cultures.They're called mainly Will o' wisps though.

Thanks for all the reviews and support guys!

LP