Thanks for the reviews: Starzinmieyez, kate, KellyEliz, 5 and lilMonkeycupcakes. This chapter is a tad bit late, and not so interesting. Sorry if I bore you, Lol.

~7~

"Y-You're serious?"

That was all Zazu could say. He stood there, frozen. His mind flooded with an array of different emotions. Dumbstruck, he stammered like a broken record.

"I'm sorry if I approached you too fast…" Zula said, overwhelmed with guilt. "If it makes it less awkward, I'll be leaving now."

"But what about your wing?"

"What about it…?"

She looked at Zazu as if he had two heads. Suddenly, she remembered.

"Oh, my wing! I'll be fine." she promised. "I'll just go back to the nest and wait for Pili and Oni to come back."

She nuzzled him with her beak before she turned away, tears welling in her eyes.

"Good-bye, Zazu."

She took a couple steps away from him, ready to return to the deserted nest.

"I love you too."

She stopped abruptly in her tracks. She turned around, where Zazu gave her an assuring nod. She smiled and ran back to him, squeezing him close to her. Pollen from the flower patch danced around the new couple as the nighttime draft circled through the field, which blossomed with life.

"Oh Zazu, I knew the first time I met you that we would be together forever!" she sobbed happily. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you too." Zazu replied, taking one more look at his mate.

The moon had finally reached its peak. The cacophony died as the animals scurried back home to escape the nocturnal predators that scavenged the fields for unsuspecting animals.

"We better get going." Zula suggested. "It's getting dark."

The pitch-black darkness was no match for their diurnal eyes.

"I can't see a thing." Zazu spoke. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," Zula responded, a hint of worry in her tone.

She noticed an eerie hissing sound following by some rustling in the bushes.

"Did you hear that?" she quivered.

"My lady, I'd break both my wings and both of my legs before letting anything in this forest hurt you." Zazu said smugly.

"Oh Zazu," Zula blushed as she huddled closer to the hornbill.

Her grip got tighter as the hissing grew louder and more frequent. Zazu didn't want to admit it, but he was frightened as well. He didn't want to look like a fool.

"It feels like we've been going in circles!" Zula groaned. "Can't we just take refuge for the night?"

"Nonsense!" Zazu insisted. "We'll be back at Pride Rock in no time!"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up!" said a peculiar voice.

The duo gasped in fear as a small cat looking creature popped out of the bushes. She grinned, her jagged teeth visible to the hornbills' fearful eyes.

"This way!" Zula said, pulling Zazu by the wing.

"You know what Ma always said," another one of the creatures teased as he leapt in front of the terrified birds. Another one joined him. "Don't count your buzzards before they hatch. Ain't that right, Riki?"

"Sure is, Tiki." Riki snarled. "These birds are gonna keep up filled for days."

"Wait a minute!" the last one interjected as he crept . "He's the majordodo!"

"That's majordomo to you, Ma'am. And I suggest you housecats let us be!" Zazu retorted.

"Housecats?" Riki snapped. "We're caracals!"

"And you're lunch!" Tiki laughed.

He lunged for the hornbills, trying to take a bite out of them. Zula dodged him and dragged Zazu along with her.

"Let's get out of here!" she cried.

"Get 'em, Tavi!" Riki ordered.

Tavi and Tiki ran after the hornbills, who ran into a rotting log. Tiki forced his paw up the mossy opening, trying to get a hold on one of the birds. Zazu felt his heart pounding through his chest. Zula buried her head into him, looking unsurely at him.

"We'll get out of here alive," Zazu said as he brought her into a tight hug. "I promise."

"Boo!" Tavi exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of the pink bird and pulled.

Zula hung on to Zazu for dear life, who tried to pull her down with him. Her heart beat frantically as her life flashed before her very eyes. Tavi pulled harder and Zazu gasped as he saw his beloved Zula being dragged by the snickering feline.

"You're mine you little brat," she sang out.

"Think again!" Zula remarked as she ran her razor sharp claws through the caracal's face.

"Gah!" she cried out while she bowed her head in pain.

Zula escaped and ran back to reunite with Zazu. Riki ran towards Tavi.

"You moron!" she seethed. "You let her get away."

She smacked her sister to the ground as she placed her muzzle near the opening of the log.

"There's no escaping now." she hissed, licking her lips.

"Come out, little birdies." Tiki joked.

"I have an idea." Zula whispered.

"What? We don't have much time!" Zazu responded, barely dodging Tiki's paw.

"We push ourselves into the log on the count of three."

"I hope this works…"

"Trust me."

Frustrated, the two caracals stepped up their effort and began to gnaw and rip the opening to get better access.

"One,"

The two birds huddled with one another to get away from the cats' probing paws.

"Two,"

"Any last words?" Riki mocked.

"THREE!" the birds said in unison as the rammed into the opposite side of the log.

The log went racing down the slope. Riki and Tiki let go of the log once they noticed it roll away. Aggravated and hungry, the trio went to find an easier kill.

"They got lucky." Tiki insisted.

"Just wait," Riki proclaimed. "If I ever see those dodos again, they're lunch!"

Meanwhile, Zazu and Zula flipped and tumbled in the runaway log. Suddenly, they heard a loud splash. Water began to fill the hollowed out stump.

"Let's get to the surface!" Zula suggested as she and Zazu lifted themselves onto the top of the log.

"This creek should take us to the borders." the blue bird spoke. "Most of these lead to the waterhole."

Zula laid on her back. She noticed the dark clouds had loomed away, unveiling the luminous moon and stars. Its reflection was slightly distorted as the log slowly sailed through the crystal clear waters. Zula turned on her stomach, noticing the tiny fish and tadpoles that darted by, curiously nipping at the hollowed out stump. They rushed back to their nests when they saw a tip of Zula's wing spinning playfully in the water. They came back, curiously stalking the swiftly moving pink object, which made Zula chuckle.

"They're so cute." she laughed. "I can't wait until I have kids of my own. Can't you, Zazu?"

"I'll just say I thought about it several times, but nothing I'm too keen on." he responded.

"Well I don't blame you, you've dealt with the sneakiest of cubs." the pink bird laughed. "I can see why it spooks you."

"No, that's not it." Zazu insisted. "It's just that eventually, they'll have to leave the nest. To think that something you made and rose with unconditional love—will someday leave and never turn back."

"Oh Zazu," Zula smiled, snuggling him. "That's part of being a good parent. Every fledgling has to leave the nest eventually."

She planted a soft kiss on his cheek as she looked at him.

"But if you're not ready, I understand."

Zazu felt bad for hindering Zula's plans to start a family, but he still felt he wasn't ready to take on the responsibility.

Kiara was the first to wake up the next morning. Her cubs were secure in their father's arms. She decided to Surprisingly, Kiara didn't have any nightmares that night. Well-rested and prepared for the day to come, she crept out of the den and directed herself to the water hole. Just as her neck arched, allowing her face to be inches away from the cold water. She looked over and noticed Zazu and his new companion walking back home.

"I was looking for you yesterday." she smiled. "I thought something bad might've happened."

"Oh, we're fine." Zazu insisted. "Zula and I just got into some trouble coming back home."

"I see," Kiara said as she cocked an eyebrow. "Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine." Zula smiled. "My feet are killing me though."

She moved her toes, trying to control some of the pain.

"I'll just fly back."

Without thinking, she lifted off the ground, much to Kiara and Zazu's surprise. Once she realized what she did, her face turned red. She mouthed something to himself as she flew back down.

"Your wing…healed?" Kiara asked.

Zula, who's guilty eyes were locked on the ground, fought the courage to look the queen in her eye, took a deep sigh.

"Yes, it's true…" she admitted. "It was healed for the past week."

"But why did you lie?" the maize colored queen asked curiously.

"I fell in love," the pink bird said sheepishly as she glanced at Zazu. "I didn't want anybody to know my wing healed because once they knew, I would have to leave and we'd never be together."

Kiara felt bad for her.

"Alright, you can stay." she said. "But Kovu or the other lionesses can't know."

"Oh, thank-you, Queen Kiara." Zula rejoiced.

"I'll meet you two back at Pride Rock." the queen smiled as she took her water and headed back home.

Zazu and Zula looked at each other and flew away together.

This is probably gonna be the shortest chapter in the story. Nothing interesting really happens in this chapter. But to make it up to you, I've already started working on the next chapter and will update VERY soon. The chapter's about halfway done, so I should update in about a day or two.

Thanks for reading! :)

PS: I noticed the chapter numbers are messed up. I fixed that. Though I doubt most of you didn't pay attention. Lol. Anyway, have a great day!