Me and Zira stepped on some sticks, breaking them in half as we walked out of the swamp, not looking at each other, but talking.

''You know that after all of this is set and done, you'd also have to go on trial for all you've done.'' I reminded the lioness, who rolled her eyes.

''Yes, but going on trial is less of a punishment for my actions than death at the hands of Niagh.'' Zira scoffed, ''Your little pride seems to be the safest place to go at a time like this.''

''Thinking about safety? That's unlike you, Zira.'' I mocked before we came up to a pond with meerkats surrounding it, ''Ah, here we are.''

As we looked around, I noticed Janja's trio moving towards the meerkats, startling one.

''HYENAS!'' The meerkat screamed before I jumped between the two parties.

''Wait!'' I shouted, causing the meerkat to stop, ''They're with me...for the time being.''

''Shujaa!'' I heard Kion shout as he came over and hugged me, ''You're alright!''

''Kion, we have to grab Janja's missing hyena, give him back to Janja, then move these meerkats to the pridelands.'' I told my brother-in-law, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

''Why?'' Kion asked and I sighed.

''Niagh wants to hurt our family, and take over the pridelands, so we have to take everyone here and move them to the pridelands. Niagh and her pride have been using the Oasis as a hunting and training ground and I curse myself for sending them here!'' I growled.

''Why do I have a feeling you want to save the pridelands mostly for Kiara?'' Kion asked and I scoffed.

''Kion, now is not the time!'' I spat, "If we don't hurry, not only will these meerkats die, but so will our family! I'm not losing my wife, daughter or in-laws!"

As Kion looked at the meerkats, I noticed a face of dread on his face.

You know that you can easily save the pride lands.

"Shut up, Mohatu!" I shouted, but realized it was heard by everyone, "Uh...thoughts."

Pft. Thinking of your mentor as nothing more as a thought?

Mohatu, you know that's not true!

"Alright!" Kion said , nodding at me, "We'll move them."

"I don't see the problem." Zira scoffed, shrugging, "If they die, it's less weight to carry."

"We save all lives, no matter how weak." I reminded her.

"Very well." She sighed, "I will abide by your goody-two shoes morals for now."

"Good." I said, smirking before turning to the Meerkats, "Alright, time to get ready to migrate."

The meerkats cheered as I sighed. This is going to be rough.

You brought this on yourself.

Indeed I did, Mohatu…indeed I did.

Let's just say the evacuation was...less stellar than yet ANOTHER Angry Birds spin-off. An old Meerkat the others referred to as "Uncle Max" kept rambling on the possibilities of more hyenas, which I quickly shot down, reminding him that the chances of that are very low, though he wasn't convinced.

"Max, you have to settle down and relax. There are almost no chances of more hyenas out there." A female meerkat,who looked to be the mother of Timon, said.

"Uh...well…" Max stammered.

"And besides," She continued, elbowing me in the leg and pointing at Kion, "We have two fully grown lions to help who are both related to Simba."

"Actually, i'm still a teenager." Kion chuckled nervously.

"...Zira?" She asked the annoyed lioness, who rolled her eyes.

"Couldn't care less." Zira stated flatly.

"Miss, we have little time." I said to the meerkat, who chuckled.

"Please, call me Ma." She said, causing me to laugh nervously.

"I'd...rather not." I said honestly, causing her to shrug and turn to her colony.

"Alright, everybody, we're packing up!" She shouted, causing the meerkats to start digging into the crowd at a remarkable rate, soon enough making a tunnel large enough to fit me, Zira and Kion, "Good work!"

"Uh...are you sure this work?" Max asked.

"Of course it will." I assured him,"As long as her pride doesn't find our scent, we're fine."

"If you say so." He sighed, shrugging as I hopped down to view the tunnel, which was, indeed, large enough to fit the three largest creatures in the group.

A couple of hours passed and the meerkats a hill to reach the border to the pridelands. However, I had noticed a black and orange lion laying at the border, not doing anything...but I recognized him.

Hearing my growls, Kion turned to me.

''Shujaa?'' Kion asked and I started walking towards the lion.

''Stay here, Kion.'' I said as I approached the black lion, ''Trying to have a catnap, Tashi?''

Hearing my voice, the black lion turned to me with a frown.

''Well, if it isn't Kiara's stepping stool?'' Tashi mocked, causing me to scoff.

''Hardly.'' I said, ''We were passing through in order to get back into the pridelands and I had noticed one of my old 'pals' just sitting here.''

''I have a right to sit at the border of the pridelands, you tool.'' He spat, ''Now bugger off.''

''You know what you did to me and the monarchs was unjust and got you exiled all that time ago.'' I reminded him, ''Why don't you ever try to redeem yourself?''

''Because you are a roadblock.'' Tashi replied before walking past me, ''One that I, somehow, someway, cannot get past.''

As he walked off, he turned back to me.

''We'll meet again, Shujaa.'' He said with a devious smirk, causing me to chuckle.

''That we will.'' I agreed as he ran off.

Confused, Kion came to me along with the meerkats and Zira as Janja and his hyenas went towards his volcano.

''Who was that?'' Kion asked and I kept walking.

''His name is Tashi.'' I began, ''Two years ago, he arrived in the pridelands as your sister and I were approaching adult age. While initially acceptive of him, I noticed he had a oddly manipulative side around the monarchs.''

As Kion's eyes widened, I continued.

''After a while, I exposed him for who he was, but we've been butting heads ever since.'' I finished as we slid down a hill and into the pridelands, ''Here we are. Home sweet home!''

''Guh, the bright colors and unkilled family of Simba STILL disgusts me.'' Zira groaned, ''However, since you're letting me stay here, I might as well get used to it.''

''Excelle-'' I started before hearing a little girl's voice.

''Dad!'' I heard Sara's voice say as she ran towards us, ''Uncle Kion!''

Sara quickly jumped up and hugged me as I hugged her back.

''Heya, sport.'' I said to the cub, who giggled, ''How's my little girl doing?''

''Your what!?'' I heard Zira shout as Sara replied to me.

''Good!'' Sara replied before seeing Zira, ''Who's that?''

''Wha- You don't know me?!'' Zira yelled and Sara's ears went down, ''I am Zira!''

However, Sara's ears quickly went up as she raised an eyebrow.

''Aren't you the same lion who my dad said he and mom beat up?'' Sara asked and Zira sputtered.

''That's ridiculous!'' Zira countered, ''I merely lost my group on a rock and fell into a river.''

At her half-true statement, I chuckled before chucking Sara on my back and pressing on, with the rest of my party following.

''Kion, guide the meerkats to Hakuna Matata falls.'' I said to my brother-in-law, who nodded and gestured to the meerkats to follow him. As he did that, I turned to Zira, ''And you are coming with me.''

As we made our way towards Pride Rock, Zira sighed.

''Oh, joy…'' She groaned.

NEXT TIME: Preparations for defense! As Shujaa, Kiara and Kion take charge of the defense of the Pridelands, the revelation of a pregnant Kiara forces Shujaa to bring Zira in as a last minute replacement. Will Zira's bloodthursty and cold-blooded attack plans prove to be the downfall or savior of the Pridelands?