Here's chapter twenty three and please review.

I would also like to thank AMBER (two times), BlackLouie, fthn, Raina, CSIMentalistTLK lover,gary2000, LionFlower, Aggregate Dragon, Fluffy Hug and my three guest reviewers for reviewing. Keep them coming!

As Kiara and Kovu reached Priderock, they were met by Simba, Sarabi Alex, Tojo, Shani, Shinda, Kula and Chumvi.

''What were you thinking?! Going to the border?!'' Simba demanded. ''Do you know how worried I was when Zazu told me that he saw you there?!''

''Simba,'' Sarabi said. ''Calm down. I'm sure she has a reason as to why she was there.''

''I saw Eisha and Kopa.'' Kiara said. ''Apparently, they lost the land they conquered and were just passing by the Pridelands to look for new land.''

''It was Kopa?'' Alex asked. ''How is he?''

''He's fine I guess.'' Kiara sighed. ''I tried convincing him to come back to Priderock to at least visit for a day but he wouldn't listen to me.''

''He changed.'' Kovu added. ''A lot.'' He figured it was best if they left out the part on Kopa defending Eisha against Kiara.

''Well, he's different now.'' Shani sighed. ''There's nothing we can do about that.''

Kiara looked at her father who had been silent the whole time. Simba looked at her.

''I know that you don't want to accept this but I don't either Kiara. But this isn't the Kopa you once knew. He's different now and we can't change that. No matter how much it hurts us to accept it, it is the truth.''

Kiara looked at him in despair. He was just going to give up?

''Now come on.'' Kula said, nuzzling both Kiara and Kopa. ''The sun's going down.''

Everyone nodded and headed into the den.

That night, Kiara waited until she was alone in the den to talk to her father again.

''Daddy,'' Kiara said. ''We can't just give up on Kopa like that! Can't you go and talk to him?''

''Kiara,'' Simba said. ''Seeing me will only make him madder. If I could have convinced him, I would have convinced him to stay on the day he left. But he won't listen and neither does he accept us as family anymore.''

''I know,'' Kiara sighed. ''He defended Eisha against me.''

Simba looked at her with pained eyes. ''We have to let him go. It will make is easier on all of us.''

Kiara nodded and trotted out of the den and headed towards the peak of Priderock. Looking up into the stars, she looked at the brightest one, believing that it was her mother's star.

''Mom,'' Kiara whispered. ''You wouldn't have given up. You would have done anything to get him back. What am I supposed to do? Please, Mom I need help.''

Kiara closed her eyes and sighed painfully at the thought of her brother. She couldn't just forget him.

''Have hope.''

Kiara jumped as she heard her mother's voice whispering through her ears and she caught the faint scent of Nala in the air.

''Have hope my little one.''

''That doesn't really help,'' Kiara sighed but she didn't hear anything else. With another sigh, she turned and headed back into the den.

She would go and talk to her brother herself. She would do what her mother would have done.

She wouldn't stop until she got him back.

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The next morning, Kiara was up early and after taking a drink from the Waterhole, she began heading towards the eastern border. She wanted to see her brother and convince him to come back to Priderock. Kopa wasn't as mad at her so maybe she stood a chance.

Halfway to the border, she heard a voice calling out to her.

"I knew you'd try to go back." Came a voice.

Kiara spun around and saw Tanabi and Kovu hurrying behind her.

"Did you follow me?" Kiara asked.

"Not exactly," Tanabi said. "Both of us knew that there was no way that you'd listen to your father and not go back for Kopa. Both of us figured that you'd leave early but no this early. When we woke up, you were gone. We knew where you went. Your father flipped but Danyssa and Jasiri covered for you saying that you were going to meet them at the Waterhole for some hunting practice."

"Kiara," Kovu said. "Please don't go. You're only going to get hurt again. I want my best friend back too but Kopa's completely changed now."

"I know, but I still have to try." Kiara said. "He's still my brother no matter what."

"You told us that he doesn't consider you as his sister anymore. Eisha is more important to him." Tanabi said.

"I still have to try." Kiara insisted then looked at Kovu. "You'd do it for Jasiri. I know you would."

Kovu looked at her with an amused smile. "Well then, if we can't stop you, I guess we'll just have to accompany you."

Kiara smiled at her brother and Kovu before all three of them began heading towards the border.

In the Outlands, Kiara immediately began searching for Scar's Pride.

"Don't just walk in there when we find them." Kovu said. "They're not going to hesitate to kill you."

"Kopa won't let them." Kiara said. Tanabi and Kovu exchanged a worried glance but didn't say anything.

After searching around a bit, they saw the figure of a young lioness walking alone. From the color of her fur, they knew who it was.

"Eisha!" Tanabi said. The three of them hurried to Eisha who looked at them in surprise.

"Tanabi?" Eisha asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Kopa." Kiara said. "Where is he?"

"My brother doesn't want anything to do with you." Eisha said, glaring at Kiara.

"He's my brother and I want to talk to him! Where is he?" Kiara demanded.

"Kiara," Eisha said. "Ever since we were little, you've always been spoiled and gotten everything you wanted. Scar may have given you everything you wanted, but I won't! Kopa's better off without you!"

Kiara growled. "Last chance Eisha. Where is he?"

"Eisha, come on." Kovu said. "We just want to talk to him."

Tanabi glared at his half -sister. "Just tell us where he is. We don't want to make you cry."

Eisha rolled her eyes. "I've grown out of that. And no, I won't tell you."

Kiara growled and lunged and Eisha. Eisha growled and blocked her in midair and the two of them battled.

"Kiara!" Kovu and Tanabi both cried and went into help Kiara.

"Eisha!" Came a voice. Tanabi and Kovu whipped around to see Kopa running towards them at full force.

"Kopa!?" Kovu gasped, shocked to his former best friend after all these years.

Kopa ignored him and went to Eisha and knocked Kiara away from her. Kiara landed on the ground with a thud and Kovu helped her up.

After checking to see if Eisha was okay, Kopa turned around to Kiara, snarling at her.

"Who do you think you are attacking her like that?" Kopa demanded.

"I came here to talk to you and she got in my way." Kiara snapped. "Look, Kopa can you please just come back to Pridelands for a couple hours. Come back to Priderock and just see everyone. We've all missed you. Especially me."

"I haven't missed you or anyone back in the Pridelands!" Kopa growled. "Just leave me alone!"

"Kopa," Kovu said. "What happened to you?"

"I smartened up. That's what happened!" Kopa snapped.

"Kopa, please." Kiara said. "Talk to me in private for five minutes. Just five minutes."

Kopa sighed. "Fine but only as long as you leave me alone after that."

"I promise." Kiara said. She saw Kovu looking at her a bit worried, but she nodded at him, assuring him that she would be fine.

Kopa and Kiara went off a little ways before they stopped.

"So what do you want to tell me?" Kopa asked.

"Why did you leave?" Kiara asked.

Kopa sighed. "After Mom's death, I realized how much of a fail that Simba was. He let Mom die. You were willing to accept him a as a father and act like Scar was nothing to you. The entire Pride was happy to see Scar gone. You accepted the Pride back and completely forgot how cruel they were to us and Mom when we were younger. Scar's pride isn't like that and neither am I. No matter what, Scar was the father that was there for us when we needed it. Simba wasn't. They understand me better."

"Scar killed our mother! He killed his own brother!" Kiara exclaimed. "And I forgave the rebel Pride because holding onto hate will only destroy me. Besides, Mom would have wanted us to forgive if she was still here."

"But she isn't is she?" Kopa said. "Because Simba was a fail at protecting her!"

"No!" Kiara hissed. "Because Scar killed her!" Kopa just growled.

''Remember when we were young,'' Kiara asked. ''How you would always say that you would protect me no matter what. What happened to that?''

''Things are different now,'' Kopa replied sounding indifferent. But deep inside his heart ached. He wanted to go back to his cub years. He had been so content with a loving mother and father. He wanted to let his mother take care of his problems and let his father protect him.

''Simba is our true father Kopa.'' Kiara said. ''You can't hide from the truth.''

"Scar wasn't a failure like Simba is." Kopa said. "He got great things done by achieving them. Simba was just born into it."

"Simba's your true father!" Kiara exclaimed. "How can you talk about him like that?"

"Scar is my father." Kopa hissed. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Yes!" Kiara growled. "Nala's up in the stars watching us and if she was here now she would hate you as much as I do!" She struck Kopa on the side of his face and he roared in pain.

"Kiara!" Tanabi and Kovu ran over to her and placed themselves in front of her as Kopa was about to attack.

"Touch my sister and you deal with me!" Tanabi warned.

"I see you've replaced me with another brother Kiara." Kopa said thoughtfully as Eisha reached the scene.

"Of course I did!" Kiara growled. "After the fail you were! I would have never done this to you!"

"Kiara lets go" Kovu said. "He's not worth your time." He growled at Kopa before the three turned and left.

Kopa turned back to Eisha.

"Let's go," Kopa said and the two of them went back to the others.

They were greeted by Vitani when they arrived.

"Where were you two?" Vitani asked.

"We bumped into Kiara again and this time Kovu and Tanabi were with her." Eisha said.

"She tried talking me into going back." Kopa said, rolling his eyes.

"That means she still cares about you. We could use it for our advantage. Come on, Nuka's ready to tell everyone his plan for taking over the Pridelands." Vitani said and they headed over to where everyone had gathered up.

Once Nuka saw that everyone had gathered, he began speaking.

"As everyone knows," Nuka said. "We are ready to take over Simba's Pride. They are a big Pride and the easiest way is to weaken them. We start off by killing Kiara so Simba will be in his weakest state." He exchanged a glance with Kopa, wondering if he would protest but he didn't.

"Kiara's going to do her first solo hunt soon. We plan on sending some hyenas into attack her. Vitani will then save her and therefore Simba has no choice but to accept her into the Pride to repay her. She has to gain Kiara and Simba's trust before killing her." Akila said. "We'll decide what we do next after that."

"Very well then." Zira said. "Soon we will put the plan in motion."

I decided this was a good place to end it. I know that my other chapters are longer and the next one will be, I promise. So will the plan work? Will Kopa have a change of heart and save Kiara? Will Kiara let her love towards Kopa be her downfall? Stay tuned to find out!