I'm finally back! So I just want to tell all my readers that have been with me since the beginning that I have fixed any mistakes in the first few chapters. Check the summaries to see which ones. You don't have to reread them because there weren't any major changes except for Uru being the daughter of Mohatu. Like I said in a previous chapter, I did not know that originally, but now I do. So that is fixed. You're welcome. I also thank all of you who reviewed and read this story. I really appreciate your support.

One last thing, I got a review saying that this story should be a lot longer. Don't worry about it, this is going to be a five part series. Trust me; it's going to be long enough. Check out my profile to see the titles of them. It's somewhere in the middle or something like that but it won't take a lot of scrolling.

Hope you guys think it was worth the wait when you read this chapter. It's finally time, the big reveal!

-X-

"Vitani, why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the other lionesses on the hunt?" asked Kiara when she noticed her sister-in-law coming towards her.

"Well, you know your worry wart of a mate Kovu. He asked me to watch over you while he was out on patrol" said Vitani.

"You don't have to do that. Besides, I'm not a cub anymore, I don't need a babysitter. I'm pregnant, not on the verge of death" said Kiara.

"I know but I didn't want to argue with him plus I could really use a break from those hunts" smiled Vitani.

"Ah, so this is just an excuse to get out of work."

"Pretty much, I haven't been able to catch much sleep lately."

"Well then you shouldn't be going out every night with my brother."

"Should you be saying that to me, or should I be the one saying that to you?"

"That's a good point."

"So I was right…I'm the prince" said a soft voice near the entrance of the den.

Vitani stood up but not on guard since she knew who the voice belonged to immediately. "K-Kopa? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you guys something. But I guess I already know the answer" said Kopa quietly.

"Kopa…Look you don't understand. We had a very good reason for not telling you" tried Vitani.

"Save it, what I really want to know is what happened to me? What happened to me that put me into Tamina's care?" asked the young prince.

Kiara opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she noticed Vitani's scared expression. She was confused at first but then realized the reason for it. "That's not really in my place to tell you" said Kiara apologetically.

"Why not? Is there something you're keeping from me? Did the king have something to do with it?" asked Kopa, adding venom to the word 'king' as if it was poisonous to say.

"Kopa! The king is your father and you know that now. Just call him that" said Vitani.

"Why should I? Since coming here he's been too busy to spend any time with me! What kind of a father does that?!" exclaimed Kopa angrily.

"It's not his fault, he's just very busy" tried Kiara.

"Yeah, I know, the kingdom comes before family. Well I think it's stupid!"

"Father never put the kingdom before us. I should know, he's spent my whole life trying to protect me from dangers I didn't even know existed."

"What, so you wouldn't have to end up like me? Like some sort of failure that they had to get rid of?"

"How can you say that? Dad would never-."

"I think I've heard enough."

Kopa turned around and walked out of the den in anger.

"No, Kopa!" called Vitani as she ran in front of him. "Please just listen!"

Kiara gasped in shock at what had happened next. Kopa swung his arm and hit Vitani across the face. Her sister-in-law flew to the side of the den and collapsed there. Vitani slowly stood up with tears in her eyes as she reached a paw to touch the spot where he had hit her.

Kopa's eyes widened in shock and fear as the realization of what he had done hit him, usually he kept his anger under control but this time, he didn't know what had happened, he just reacted. "Vitani…"

"Stay away from her!" roared Kovu as he ran into the den. He stopped right in between them. "Don't come near her."

"Kovu…" Vitani whispered weakly.

Kiara ran over to her and tried to help her up as her father entered the den. Simba looked from the fearful looks of the lionesses, the furious expression of his son-in-law, and the guilty look on his son's face.

"Kopa, what happened?" asked Simba.

Kopa turned to his father as if noticing his presence for the first time. His expression changed from one of guilt into one of rage. "Why don't you ask them?" growled Kopa as he ran straight out of the den.

"Kopa wait!" shouted Simba. But it was too late, Kopa had run very far from them now. Chances were, he might not come back. The king slowly turned to the younger lions still inside the den. "What happened in here?"

"Kopa, he came in here. It was just a big misunderstanding" stuttered Kiara.

"He hit Vitani" said Kovu slowly. He walked over to his sister who was now crying into her paws. "It'll be fine Vitani…"

"No it won't…He trusted me…And I couldn't even tell him the truth about mother. What she had done to him" Vitani cried.

"He…He hurt you?" questioned a soft voice outside the den.

The lions turned to see Tamina, Timon, and Pumbaa watching them. Clearly they had saw and heard everything that had happened.

"Tamina…I'm fine really" sniffed the dark lioness.

"No, I'm sorry…Some of that rage might be because of me. And I shouldn't have waited so long to bring back Kopa. The day I found him I should've looked for a way to bring him back home. But instead I was selfish and wanted a travelling partner" said Tamina.

"…You weren't selfish…You were just lonely. It's something everyone feels from time to time" said Timon.

"I think we all have" said Simba. "I'm going to go find him."

"I'm going too" resolved Tamina.

"Don't forget about me" added Timon.

"Are we forgetting the storm?" reminded Pumbaa.

"He's right, all of you stay here. I'm going to go find him and bring him back. You guys just stay and warn the others about the storm" ordered Simba.

"Be careful out there daddy" said Kiara as she nuzzled her father.

"Please bring him back your majesty. I don't know what would happen to me if I lost him again" sobbed Vitani.

"Don't worry, I will" reassured Simba as he ran off into the direction of his son.

"Let's hope he comes back before the storm" said Timon grimly once he was gone.

-X-

Kopa finally stopped running when he was out of breath. He could see that there was a slight drizzle from under the shade of the acacia tree where he took shelter. He looked up to see storm clouds gathering. He could tell that it was going to be a strong storm.

"You must've been running for hours because this is quite a distance from Pride Rock" commented a voice from the shadows.

Kopa turned ready to defend himself but relaxed when he was able to recognize the silhouette easily. "Hasani, what are you doing here, I thought you went off to see the shaman."

"I did, but then he told me that there was this big storm coming and that I should look for the king and the prince. I couldn't find them and I was about to run back when I accidentally cut my ankle, so now I'm just resting here for a bit" chuckled Hasani. "Pretty stupid of me, huh."

"Not as stupid as hurting someone you liked" muttered Kopa as he sat down.

"What's up? You look kind of down. You still upset about that fight you had with Tamina this morning?" asked Hasani.

"No, it's not that. It's just; I wanted to find out what happened to me that got me these ugly scars. But they refused to tell me and I don't know, something in me just snapped" said Kopa quietly.

Hasani was suddenly eerily quiet and it scared Kopa a little. "I'm sorry to hear that" said Hasani stiffly.

"Why is everyone keeping secrets from me?" scoffed Kopa.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, I can tell there's something you're keeping from me. You were just so quiet a little bit earlier so I know you know something that I don't."

"You're a lot smarter than you look young prince."

"You knew?!" shouted Kopa standing upright.

"Please don't be angry with me. It was not my decision to keep it from you" said Hasani softly.

Kopa began pacing back and forth for a few seconds before coming up with some sort of resolve and turning back to the older lion. "What exactly do you mean when you say it wasn't your decision not to tell me?" asked Kopa.

"Well, when you said your name was Kopa I just had my suspicions that you were the lost princeof the Pride Lands. But when we arrived to Pride Rock and your parents didn't do anything, well you know. I went to ask them why they didn't have a more enthusiastic reaction" started Hasani.

"And what did they say?" asked Kopa.

"They never answered because I never asked."

"But you just said-!"

"When I went to go ask them but I never did, it was because I overheard your parents talking…"

-X-

Hasani walked into the cave with full intentions on figuring out the reason for why the king and queen didn't rejoice in happiness when they saw their long lost son. He was about to turn the corner and walk right in on them when he heard them talking.

"What do we do Simba? Even if you are king, you cannot defy the law that dictates that the firstborn must become ruler when the time comes" said the worried voice of Nala.

"There's nothing to worry about Nala. We just need to fake another 'accident'" replied the voice of Simba.

"But there were so many suspicious lionesses last time. What if they find out this time?" asked Nala.

"We'll just do the same thing as we did last time. Blame them for the murder and banish them" said Simba.

"But we were able to establish an alibi then. Everyone knew Zira disliked you so it was only natural for the lionesses to turn on her and her followers. And it's not like we could banish them again, not while Kovu's the heir."

"I know, but don't worry. This time, no one will find out."

"How do you know that?"

"We just need to have someone to gain his trust. Someone that was once very close to him. This way he won't remember what we had done to him."

"Alright, but who can we get to do that? Kiara wasn't even born then, and I don't think Sierra or Afua would be willing to go through that again. They did their parts when they were younger but I don't think they liked it."

"It's alright. I already asked Vitani and she said she would do it."

"But she was one of the banished. Why would she agree to this?"

"She wanted to prove her loyalty to me. Ha! She honestly believes it was her mother that had attempted to kill him!"

"What about Kovu and Kiara, do they know about this plan?"

"Unlike Vitani, they're in on it. And they agreed not to tell anyone about it. Kovu is the heir to the throne and I know that for certain. To me, Kopa never existed."

Hasani stood there in complete shock. He never imagined a family killing off one of their own. Ha was about to run out and tell Kopa when he accidentally stepped on a twig. It snapped and attracted the attention of the king and queen.

"Who's there?" shouted Simba.

Hasani broke off at top speed towards the den he, Kopa, and Tamina were assigned. He knew if he wanted to warn them, he would have to be quick and evasive.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough; Simba caught up quick and pinned the younger lion down. Hasani struggled for a bit but stopped when Simba pressed a paw onto his windpipe, ready to crush it beneath his weight. He felt his heartbeat quicken.

"If you value your life then you will forget everything you heard. Or else it will be the end of you and the rest of King Kanu's pride. I will make sure I find your family, and destroy them" growled Simba maliciously.

Hasani lied there, wide eyed at the king. He had never felt this much fear before. "I-I won't tell your son anything. Just please let me go."

Simba smiled cruelly as he took his paw off of him. "That's a good little kitty. Now run back and don't say a word or else it will be the end of you."

-X-

Kopa was completely silent as he stared at his companion. The entire thing came as a total shock. Even though he suspected his theory to be true, having it confirmed by someone else just made it that much more real.

"I'm sorry, Kopa, I wanted to tell you but…I-I just couldn't. I'm so ashamed, I was so scared and weak and pathetic" said Hasani, looking down in shame.

"No Hasani, you were only protecting your family. I can't blame you for such a thing. But to think they could drag Vitani into their sick plot. But what I really can't believe is that she actually agreed to do it…Wait, if you knew that Sierra was part of the plot from years ago, then why did you become her lover?" asked Kopa.

"I'm not proud of it but I needed someone to show me around so I could familiarize myself with the area. I needed to know more if I was going to help you. I was hoping to find some private spot so I could tell you what your father was planning" explained Hasani.

"Well I appreciate your efforts…I'm going back and I'm going to overthrow the king" resolved the prince.

"How? He's got his entire pride with him, you can't do it alone. And I'm not so sure about joining you in this suicide attempt" pointed out Hasani.

"I'll issue a challenge, between him and me only. King Malka once told me that if a lion were to challenge a king from one of the four great kingdoms then you can rule if you win. I will win, and I'll take over the throne like I was supposed to" said Kopa.

"What if he refuses to accept?"

"It is by common law among the kingdoms to accept. They may be king but they cannot deny a lion their own rights."

"…I respect your decision prince Kopa. And I will assist in any way I can. But I must warn you, after this, I plan on returning home."

"I understand, I thank you Hasani for being my only true friend here."

"Of course, just remember Kopa, there is no lion in the Pride Lands you can trust. You can only trust those who are not from here. You can only trust me."

-X-

The rain was now coming down a lot harder than it was earlier. It actually hurt to stand outside because the droplets just pelted right through fur, skin, or feathers. It wasn't very pleasant.

"Okay, so that fortunetelling mumbo jumbo was true" muttered Tamina and then said in her normal tone. "I sure hope Sim-I mean Kopa, is okay out there."

"Don't worry about it. He's a grown lion; he can take care of himself. And if I know one thing about family, it's that they will always be reunited if the separate" smiled Timon.

"But how can you be sure?" asked Tamina worriedly.

"We've seen it happen way too many times" said Pumbaa.

Timon nodded in agreement. "Kopa and you have a really tight bond, there's absolutely no need to worry."

"But we aren't family" reminded Tamina.

"Family doesn't have to mean blood relation. Family can just be a mutual and unconditional love you have for one another. That's how it is with me and Kovu. We aren't related by blood but we feel as if we're family" smiled Kiara.

"We found each other when we were separated, and I know that the same will happen with Kopa and you" added Kovu.

"It also happened with me and Simba. For years I believed he was dead but I found him again" said Nala.

"If there is love, there will be a way" said Pumbaa.

Rafiki, who had showed up a couple of minutes earlier, watched the exchange between them all. But he left his stare on Pumbaa the longest.

"Pumbaa is absolutely correct. Where there is love, there is always a way. Kopa will return but something about this storm tells me that it may not be such a good thing" said Rafiki.

"What do you mean? How can it be a bad thing that Kopa returns?" asked Tamina.

"I don't know" Rafiki sighed.

"Oh great, more craziness, I don't know how much more of this my mind can take" moaned Tamina.

Kovu looked around the den and saw Vitani lying down in a corner, not saying a word to anyone. She seemed so depressed and lonely.

"Hey, you okay 'Tani?" asked Kovu gently. "…A hit like that can't possibly affect you that bad"

"It didn't…At least not physically but this emotional turmoil I'm feeling…I feel as if I'm being torn apart from the inside" said Vitani quietly.

Kovu sighed knowing that it would be difficult to get his sister out of this state of sadness. "I can't tell you the truth because I don't know what it is at the moment. But just know that things will turn out alright. I mean, no matter what challenges we faced, we always came out fine. And if they don't, at least we were together till the very end."

Vitani chuckled very lightly. "Thanks Kovu…It wasn't very reassuring but I appreciate you trying."

"Come on 'Tani. The three of us promised to be together forever. Those paw prints are still there you know" smiled Sierra. "And if they're still up there then I know that promise won't ever be broken."

"I have no idea what you're talking about but Sierra's right. Kopa would never go as far as trying to kill us off. We know him much better than that" said Afua. "And since we know him so much, we know that he will never let us down. He never has."

"Thanks you guys, I appreciate your concern. I think I'm better now" smiled Vitani weakly as she stood up.

Suddenly, Tamina jerked upright and looked through the pouring rain. She saw the silhouette of a lion in the distance. "It's Kopa! I see Kopa!" shouted Tamina excitedly.

Everyone immediately turned to look in the direction she was pointing at. Tamin's excitement faded away when it turned out to be Simba. When everyone else noticed his saddened expression, they knew he wasn't able to find Kopa.

"I couldn't find him! I lost him again!" sobbed Simba as he collapsed in front of them.

"…Simba…It's okay, it'll be okay…" soothed Nala even though tears were trailing down her cheeks as well. Her voice was shaking and she was barely able to contain herself.

"Wait, look there!" said Kovu suddenly as he pointed to the horizon.

The rain was finally lightening up and they were able to walk out onto the top of Pride Rock without getting bruised by water although it was a little slippery. They looked out into the distance and saw Kopa and Hasani walking towards them. It was still raining very hard but at least things were visible now.

"It's them, they're here!" exclaimed Tamina excitedly.

"Oh thank the heavens! They're back!" cried out Nala.

While everyone was talking excitedly and happily, Rafiki stood in the background watching them. Something was off, he just knew it. He watched as everyone walked down the steps of Pride Rock to meet the two lions.

His attention was caught by a voice that still remained on Pride Rock. The only other being other than him that was still up there.

"Hasani is the true evil…" whispered Pumbaa.

Rafiki stared at the warthog for the longest time, completely speechless. He then turned back to the two returning lions and heard a voice. The voice did not belong to either of the two creatures that stood atop Pride Rock.

"Please stop him" whispered the voice of Max, Timon's great uncle.

-X-

Hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope you all enjoyed the twists and turns it took to get up to here. It really did take a lot of thought. I hope some of you recognized Hasani's last line. I just realized that it wasn't that long of a wait for this chapter to be updated. Well, it's finally here and I hope you all stay tuned to see the next chapter which will hopefully be coming soon.