Chapter 2

That night Nuku was back top of magnificiant home looking at the stars. Toko was with him and the serval asked, "How do you think all those got up there?"

"The stars?" Nuku asked, "Well, Simba told me once that they're the Great Kings of the Past."

"Wow!" the cat gapped, "That's a lot of kings."

The two friends laughed. Laying down to get a better view the lion felt at peace. He smiled at all the times he and his father were looking out at the stars. The serval's shout pulled him out of his trance. "Look! A shooting star. Make a wish!"

Closing his eyes he wished that he would stop having nightmares. Opening his eyes again the young male rolled over and stretched. "I think I'll turn in." Nuku yawned, "See you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," the serval nodded and bounded down the side of Pride Rock.

Sauntering inside, Nuku found his spot with his family. Smiling at his grandfather, he stretched once more and laid down. Letting his lids fall he soon fell asleep.

***

Oh how he wished that the stupid star had granted his wish. The nightmare was more unnerving then ever. This time everything was so clear. He knew it was a dream but it seemed so real. The last bit played over and over in his mind. There was horrid sound like thunder and Simba fell.

Suddenly someone shouted to him. It sounded so far away and clouded. The tone of urgency made him force to wake. "Nuku!? Son please get up! Dad help me." came a female voice.

"He'll be okay. Just stay calm," came a male's voice.

Forcing his mouth to move he groaned, "Mom?"

"Nuku?! Oh dear Kings." Kiara sighed trying to reach him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Nuku pushed himself up and shook his head, "Where are you?"

"Over here, honey," she said her voice echoing slightly.

Nuku blinked at the new place. The cave was gone and the one that replaced it was more of box. Tall tree like sticks were separating his mother and grandfather from him. Strange bonds were on all three of the lions. Nuku shook the strange long chains. The lions were shackled to the bars. Angry at the noise the chains made and that he couldn't get out of them Nuku let out an annoyed roar.

"We've already tried that, Nuku." Kiara comforted, "Can you reach me?"

Nuku looked back to his mother forgot his anger at her scared face. Walking over to the other end of the cage he found that he could reach his mother. Nuzzling her head he sighed, "What happened? How did get here?"

"I don't know." she said, "Everything was fine. Even when I woke up last night. I don't know what's wrong." Kiara tried to move away from him. He freaked and she comforted him. "I'll be back." Hurrying to her father a few paces away she asked, "Dad, what's going on?"

Simba had closed his eyes. Opening them, he sighed, "I'm hoping like crazy I'm wrong."

"What is it?" the lioness asked warily.

Simba paused looking over at his grandson then back to his daughter, "Do you know what humans are?"

"Sort of," she nodded slowly, "Rafiki used to talk about them. Are they bad?"

The old king frowned, "Some are. Kiara, don't let them near you if you can help it."

The queen nodded, "Will they harm us?"

Simba shook his head, "I don't know yet."

"What'll hurt us?" Nuku stopped pacing and listened in from where he could, "What's going on?"

Kiara opened her mouth to speak but the flap on the wall opened and the most curious creature walked in. Nuku's eyes widened as the monster from his nightmares came toward them. The creature stood on two hind legs letting it's forelegs hang at their side. Their paws were long like monkey's but it's feet were very different. To the lions it was the most different creature they had ever seen. To you and me they were seeing a human for the first time.

The man wore a brown shirt and kaki pants. He carried in three bags of meat for the great cats and dropped them inside the cages. He left as quickly as he had come.

Kiara inspected her sack. "Meat?" she asked aloud as her father investicated his.

"It's was killed for us." Simba noted, "They want us alive. But why?" he frowned.

The younger lion hadn't moved. He still felt the shock of realization. "S-Simba, what was th-that thing?" Nuku asked fear trickling into the question.

"That was a human. One of the reasons we don't travel north," Simba replied darkly.

"How do you know about them?" the cub asked, his curiosity calming him down.

Simba shrugged uncomfortably. "Just stories. Never met one before." And he left it at that.

Bravery and/or curiosity won over and Kiara and Simba ate from the bags. Nuku was still too shocked to see his nightmare had come to pass. Suddenly his ear twitched. "What was that?"

Kiara cocked her ear and Simba listened for it to come again. "I'm not sure what it is."

"Hello? Jambo?" a voice came out from the night.

"Who's there?" Simba asked instinctively standing in front of his daughter.

"You're awake?! Fantastic! Don't worry I'll be right back." the voice said excitedly.

"Wait!" Nuku couldn't help himself when he yelled.

"Yes?" the voice came again.

"Where are you?" Simba asked, looking into the dark to find the speaker.

"Oh! How rude of me." the voice scolded himself. Coming into the rim of moon light Simba could see a weasel of some sort. The brown grey creature had black furry feet with black coloring on his eyes. "Hi! My name is Comadreja,or just Adre," he said smiling up at the lion.

"Como what?" Nuku chuckled nervously.

"What are you?" Kiara asked curiosity popping in.

"I'm a black footed ferret." he said standing on two feet his front paws bent to his chest, "Boy, Kiji will be glad to know you're up."

"Who is Kiji?" Simba asked cautiously.

"A friend of mine," sad the ever excited weasel, "I'll go get her." he nodded. Scurrying off, Simba tried to ask him where they were but the ferret disappeared.

"And he'd gone again," Nuku sighed trying to pull at the shackle on his neck. "I'll bet you anything he'll do this all night."

Simba rolled his eyes, "Maybe he'll come back with someone more intelligent."

Nuku laughed and put his head on his paws giving up on the chain.

"Honestly," Kiara scolded, "You're both acting like cubs!"

The younger lion chuckled softly and Simba listened carefully for the ferret to return. Soon they could all hear the feet and voice. The voice was female and she was laughing, "Adre! Where are you going?"

The ferret appeared at the edge of the light again but the girl stayed outside it. Nuku saw Simba's brow furrow. Tensing, the young lion stood.

"Who's there?" Simba growled.

"My name is Kijanjwie. Or just Kiji." the girl's voice was strong but cautious keeping her tone even.

"Where are we?" the past king demanded.

"Near Kilimanjaro," the voice sounded confused, "I thought you lived nearby?"

"Kilimanjaro is more than two days run from our home." he argued calmly.

"Really?" she was troubled now and seemed to mumble to herself, "Why would she lie?"

"What's going on? Why are we here?!" Simba rumbled.

"This is a huge misunderstanding," the voice was angry now, "We're trying to preserve the land not taint it. I'll get to the bottom of this I promise."

"Wait," Simba called, "Step into the light."

"You won't get scared?" she asked skeptical of leaving the dark.

Simba was about to answer when Nuku scoffed, "Are you kidding? My grandfather's not afraid of anything."

Before the lion could correct his grandcub's mistake, the girl said, "How are you related?"

Simba got back to the subject, "The question is still unanswered. Come into the light."

She sighed and put her face into the circle of light. Simba saw the girl and two things popped into his head. Confusion and instinctive protectiveness. Instinct won out. The lion roared at her and she leaped back into the dark. Kiara stood in front of her son and Simba stood between the human and his family.

Three men rushed into the room and light almost blinded the four inside. Two dark men wore safari blended clothes and a pale man wore a black suit and pants. "What's all this then?" he asked Kiji.

"I'm sorry. I spooked him." she said hiding the angry blush that matched her red work dress.

"Well, best not get too close next time," the Englishman said patting her on the shoulder as if she were a toddler that had just burned her hand.

The men shook their heads at her and she sank to the floor after they left. She looked back at the lions and met Simba's angry stare. Her face turned red with shame. His anger then melted to confusion.

"How'd you understand us?" Nuku asked what was on everyone's mind. Even though he was the first to find his voice he was still in shock. Why did she look familiar?

"You're not scared?" Kiji asked hopefully makng eye contact with him.

"No," Simba said flatly, "Just alarmed."

"I wanted to try and change that." Kiji said sitting away from the cage.

Simba didn't shake or nod his head but frowned, "You can't change instinct."

"You must feel something other than instinct?" she persisted almost advancing toward them but she stopped herself, "There's so much more to animals than other humans think."

Simba eyed the girl for a while then nodded, "But dangerous situations put all that aside and instinct takes over," he explained.

Nuku spoke up and said, "I've never really understood why we fear man." his sarcasm and youth gone.

Simba's eyes never softened but his gaze left her and he stared at the ground. "We fear the fact that they can't hear us. That they don't use natural forms of defense but...other ways. They kill without regard of life."

The lion saw that the girl was about to protest but he continued, "If they killed to eat, we wouldn't mind. But those that kill to use their bodies as trophies?" he paused to keep from getting angry, "It's not right."

"Believe it or not," Kiji said soft but firm, "I share that hatred. Those monsters are called poachers. They're not permitted to be on this land." she looked down, tears coming to her eyes, "My mother was killed by a poacher."

"Could she hear us too?" Nuku asked almost remembering where he'd seen her.

"No," she shook her head, but then she looked up at the eldest lion. "Can you find it in you...somewhere to trust me?"

"Why?" he asked.

"I hate seeing those things on you." she said pointing at the shackles, "I can get those off." Pulling out a key she held it up.

Simba thought carefully. Then said, "Be warned that if you hurt them, I will retaliate."

Kiji bended her head to her arm, "You have my word."

Kiara blinked at the sign of respect. Simba sat signifying his temporary submission. Kiji unlocked the cage and stepped inside the lion's space. Simba eyed her, reminded her with her stare to be careful.

She advanced toward him slowly then knelt just a foot away from him. Reaching for the shackle on his front paw, she grasped it carefully and put in the key. Turning it the shackle fell into her hand. She repeated the process with each of his other paws. She stood and reached for the collar but he shrank back a growl in his throat. Moving back she waited till he relaxed. When he did she unlocked the shackle and put them down. Hurrying out the door she entered the next cage.

Kiara shrank back as well looking toward her father. When he nodded, the lioness relaxed and Kiji took the shackles off of her. Moving into Nuku's section something clicked in the young lion's mind and he tried to get as far away as possible.

"It's okay," she soothed kneeling down, "I won't hurt you."

The something that clicked was the nightmare. The girl's face was the one he saw. He saw her green eyes and stopped struggling. Too shocked to speak he stood still as she unlocked the bonds. Locking the cage back up she sighed. "I wish you didn't have to stay here but until I can help you get out..."

One of the men from the camp called her name. Sighing, she said, "I have to go. But I

will come back."

Nuku was breathing heavily now from excitement and fear, he laid down to focus his mind.

"Son?" Kiara saw him fall and she reached passed the bars, "What's wrong?"

"I've seen her before!" he said calming himself down, "Those dreams. She was there! That's why I was watching the north, Mom. She's supposed to help us!"

"No," Simba said firmly.

"No?" Nuku questioned, "She's different from them."

"As much as that child wants to, she can't," Simba disagreed.

"She's got the guts enough." the younger lion protested, "The kings might have been trying to tell me about this."

Simba scoffed, "You think the kings gave you a vision?"

Nuku frowned, "I don't know where they came from. But I do know that she won't hurt us."

"You don't know anything about them, Nuku!" The older lion rumbled.

"Niether do you!" he retorted, "You said so yourself."

"I know all I need to know," Simba growled, "They're dangerous."

"So are lions!" Nuku shouted, "To other animals we're evil!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Simba said turning away.

"Why can't you trust her?" Nuku demanded.

Simba let loose a short crisp roar, "A man almost killed me!" his face was pained and irritated.

Both Kiara and Nuku's eyes had widened in shock. "What?" the cub gasped.

The lion squeezed his eyes shut, his lips pursed in a grimace. His expression softened to sadness. "I was in the jungle, with Timon. He told me...not to go to far. I was disobedient and I ran off. I climbed up into a tree to get a different look at everything and someone shouted for help. I looked toward the sound and I saw a man pointing his weapon at me.

"I missed it by inches. Jumping down I ran. He came after me but never caught up. I was paranoid for days," he said closing his eyes again.

"Dad," Kiara nuzzled her father despite the bars. Nuku shut up again. Thinking over what he now knew he was careful of how he worded the next part. "I'm sorry. But that happened in the past. I'm sticking to my gut. She sincerely wants to help us."

"She's a child. A cub! She has no influence here." Simba argued.

"I'm going to let her help." Nuku then pointed out, "Once we're gone she'll never see us again. What's the harm in that?"

Simba eyed him skeptically, "Those humans didn't take us by accident . They knew where we live. Either they've been watching us or someone told them about the Pridelands."

"I'm going to guess the first one." Nuku said stubbornly, "I mean seriously who would hate us that much?" he ment it jokingly but Simba and Kiara seriously considered it.

"I could name three," Simba said darkly.

"Dad," Kiara said almost fearfully.

"What is it?" he asked.

She paused a moment then shook her head, "Nothing. It was stupid."

"Are you sure?" he soothed.

She nodded. Simba sighed again and said to Nuku, "If you get hurt, I'll kill you." he joked with a whole lot of seriousness, "Just be careful. Not all humans can be trusted."

Nuku looked down. His nightmares were coming to pass. Would the last one happen too? He shook his head. "Next time she comes, can I talk to her?"

Simba turned his gaze away. Closing his eyes and letting out a breath he caved. "Please....be careful." He was no longer angry just fearful for his family. Simba couldn't loose anyone again. Not by the paws of the enemy. Lying next to his daughter he looked so trapped. Nuku had only seen him like this once before. Unlike last time, the boy was unable to help him.

YEAH i'm...ah crap. i caught up to myself. *sigh* guess i'll have to get cracking. (it's challenging juggling three or four stories at a time) (as some of you have noticed I sorta dropped a few.) :(