It had been a month since the death of Sarabi and slowly things were going back to normal. Simba had accepted his mothers death, but the emotional baggage aged him greatly. Simba began to wonder how much longer he would be around, and if Kovu would be able to pick things up after he was gone. But he had faith. Kovu had shown nothing but greatness as a ruler during their training sessions. He would make a fair king. Now that Simba thought about it, it was Amadi who worried him. The cub grew with the rest of the cubs, but as Dumaka was showing the maturity of your typical lion, Amadi was not. Amadi hardly had a mane, while the other males, Ayo and Dumaka's were growing at a rapid pace. Amadi's slender body was that of Scar, and Simba remember how weak Scar was in comparison to Mofassa and himself. Not to mention, when the cubs wrestled in front of the pride, Amadi rarely joined in, and if he did he always lost against his brother.

Kovu had been putting Amadi through rigorous training; trying to build his body and his emotional strength. Though some muscle formed, he kept his lioness style figure. As for the brutality factor, Kovu knew that Amadi only agreed to wrestle so his brother wouldn't tease him; he still showed no real interest. Another interesting thing that Kovu and Simba had noticed more and more was Amadi's total lack of interest to the lionesses of the pride. Amadi would be considered adolescent soon, the time at which most lions started to flirt and court the lionesses. Even now, Dumaka was expressing interest in the lionesses from the pride that came to live with them. Dalia was also a little flirt when it came to Ayo, and expressed great jealousy when all Ayo wanted to do was be around Amadi.

Amadi was unhappy with his sisters interest in Ayo. She would always tag along with them, making it so Amadi did not feel comfortable about talking about himself. Amadi talked to Ayo about everything, but couldn't when Dalia was around. He made lots of excuses why he didn't want Dalia being there, but realistically he was jealous. He couldn't stand the way Dalia looked at him, the way she flirted with him; he wanted to just attack her sometimes.

Realistically, Amadi didn't have anything to worry about. Ayo expressed no interest in Dalia; she was too extreme for his taste. Ayo was happy being around Amadi; he enjoyed their walks and talks. He also enjoyed how tender Amadi was in comparison to Dumaka.

As far as Dumaka was concerned, Amadi and Ayo were weird. He wasn't very fond of Ayo at all. As if his brother wasn't weird enough, now he was hanging around some rival male all the time. Realistically, Dumaka considered Ayo a threat; and that's how male lions should think. And yet, Amadi didn't feel that. How could his brother not be bothered by this other male who was destined to be king in a neighboring kingdom? They were weird, as far as Dumaka was concerned.

"He spends all his time with that guy, I just don't get it!" Dumaka ranted to Kovu as they were out for a walk. "I mean, I understand he's Amadi's friend, but what about Dali and I? We're his siblings and he never hangs out with us. And you know the female cub, Ada, the one who came with the other new lionesses? She really likes Amadi, for some strange reason, and he could care less!"

Kovu looked at his son and smiled. "Ada likes Amadi?" This was showing some hope. None of the other cubs had ever expressed an interest in his strange, awkward Amadi.

"Yea, but it doesn't matter." Dumaka said, rolling his eyes as he hopped over a fallen log. "Amadi doesn't care. He's too busy being around Ayo. Seriously dad, it's like their in love or something. It's really starting to freak me out."

Kovu looked at his son again, his eyes very serious now. "I am sure he will come to like one of the girls. Just give him some time."

"Everyone says that about him. But dad, he's such a freak! Really, how can you expect a lion who isn't interested in the lionesses, who's never won a wrestling match, and who befriends field mice to be King?" Dumaka demanded.

"No hold it right there, Du." Kovu scolded, his eye brows narrowed slightly. "Amadi is not a freak. Being different does not make him a freak. Yes, he is gentle, and he hasn't found a girlfriend yet, but none of that matters right now. He has so much more time to learn, he will be a great king; just give it some time."

"Just keep telling yourself that, dad." Dumaka said, rolling his eyes as he ran off from his father. He wandered down the river, past the place were Amadi was nearly dropped into a river of crocodiles, down to where it opened up a bit wider and became calmer. That's where he saw Amadi and Ayo laying in the grass.

His eyes brows rose as he kept his distance, seeing Amadi snuggled right up to Ayo like a love-struck lioness. Dumaka's eye brows furrowed slightly; what was wrong with that cub. Deciding to spy for a big, Dumaka lay in the tall grass, downwind from the resting lions.

"Hey, Ayo?" Amadi said, rolling onto his back so his stomach was exposed to Ayo; his eyes looking up at the sky. "Do you think I'll make a good king? I mean, seriously. You always say yes because you're my friend. But do you really think I will make a good king?"

Ayo smiled and rest one paw over the stomach of Amadi, looking down at him. "Yes I do." He said honeslty, looking up at the sky with him. "You need to work on your fighting skill a bit, but your smarter and wiser than any other lion or lioness I have met; even adult ones. And I think with your kind heart, that you will be a fair leader."

Amadi smiled and looked at Ayo. "Then I am sure that I will be a good king." He said, looking up at his friend. "Because you say I will."

Ayo looked down at Amadi, quirking a brow slightly. Amadi was giving him a very caring and strange look. "Because I say?"

"Well….If you say so it must be true." He said, dodging the others glance slightly; if he had fur he would have blushed. "When other people say that to me, even my own father, I know that they don't really believe I will be a good king. But I have no reason not to trust you, you are my best friend. So if you say that I will be a good king, then I will be a good king."

Dumaka rolled his eyes slightly, but was unable to look away, even when his brother leaned up and licked the others cheek and muzzle in a way that Dumaka had only seen displayed by Simba and Nala, or his Mother and Father; a display of love. Dumaka could not understand this, it shocked him even more when Ayo returned the gesture. He had never heard of this before. Weren't lions suppose to like lionesses, not other lions. He stood up, and slowly began to back away; he could not trust his eyes anymore. He ran off.

Ayo's ears picked up at the sound of running paws, and just as Dumaka disappeared into the distance he saw the glimpse of the lion. "Uh oh." Ayo murmured. "Amadi, I think Du was here."

Amadi rolled onto his stomach and stood up, looking around. Hopping up onto a low hung branch, he saw his brother running off. "Crap." He mumbled, hopping down from the branch. Dumaka was sure to tell Kovu, or Simba, and Amadi didn't really know how to explain this. He knew his affection for Ayo was not natural, but it felt so right. But he knew that no one else would understand that.

Kovu looked at Dumaka with unbelieving eyes. He could not, would not, believe what he was saying. Ayo was Amadi's friend, there was no way that two lions could be any more than that. "I'm tired of this, Du." Kovu muttered, starting to walk away.

"What, you think I'm making this up?" The son demanded, running after his father. The look on Kovu's face told him that Kovu didn't believe him. "I saw what I saw. I know it was wrong to spy on them, but that's what I saw!"

Shaking his head, Kovu looked at his son. "Enough." He said very firmly. Why was Dumaka so determined to talk so badly about his brother? "I don't know if all of this comes from some hidden jealousy, but this need's to stop."

"I am not jealous of that freak!" Dumaka yelled, baring his teeth at his father. "I just don't want to see this kingdom go up in flames! That lion loving, mouse helping, pansy fighting freak is going to be an end to us!"

"Enough!" Kovu shouted, the fur on his shoulder bristling slightly. "Amadi is not a freak, he is your brother! And your future king! You will learn to respect him or you will leave!"

Dumaka stared at his father, almost glaring as he took a few steps back. "Then I'll leave." He muttered, shaking his head. "Follow him one day, father. Follow him and Ayo, and you will see." And with that, Dumaka turned his back on his father and ran off.

Kovu sighed, he didn't actually want his son to leave. "Dumaka….Dumaka come back!" He yelled after his son, but he was already gone. Kovu was sure he would be back; even though he was strong, he was too young to survive on his own.

Walking back to Pride Rock, Kovu remained deep in thought. He decided that he would talk to Simba about this; maybe he had an answer. When he arrived at Pride Rock, he saw Amadi sitting at the peek of the rock alone. Ayo wasn't around, so in Kovu's mind that confirmed his thoughts that Dumaka was making it up. Ayo was sleeping in the den of Pride Rock. Everything was fine, Kovu told himself. Everything would be ok.

It was sundown when Kiara went to find Kovu. She was worried about Dumaka; she had not seen him all day. In fact, no one had except Kovu; but since the fight he had not seen his son. He figured that Dumaka just needed to cool off, but when Kiara confronted him about his absence, Kovu grew worried.

"Kovu, have you seen Dumaka?" Kiara asked, walking up to her mate, concern written all over her face. "No one has seen him all day."

Kovu let out a sigh and confessed. "Dumaka and I had an argument about Amadi. He said some rather unfriendly things about his brother, so I told him he needed to learn to respect his brother or leave. He said he chose to leave…I didn't think he was serious." He said, stuttering slightly, very concerned. "I thought he just needed some time to himself."

"Kovu!" Kiara exclaimed, her ears going back. "He's just a cub, he can't survive on his own! He hardly knows how to hunt! We have to find him!"

"Calm down, I'm sure he's fine." Kovu hoped, looking over the Pride Lands.

"How can you say that when our son is out on his own in the dark!" She shouted, shaking her head. "Were going to find him! We have too!"

And with that, Kiara sprung into the cave to wake everyone. News of the cubs absence sparked a huge search party; every lion, cub, or lioness was on the search for Dumaka; splitting up into pairs to cover more space. Kovu went with Kiara, and explained the argument he had with Dumaka; telling her every detail about the fight, about what Dumaka had claimed.

This worried Kiara, what she thought to be playful cub nonsense might actually be a problem. Could her son really be in love with another lion? Was that even possible? But that didn't matter right now, she needed to find her son. But hours would pass, the sun would begin to rise, and yet there was still no sign of Dumaka.

Everyone rallied back at Pride Rock, Kiara was crying and Nala did her best to comfort her. Everyone reassured her that Dumaka would be fine, that he would come home unharmed. But as even more hours past, the pride began to have their doubts.

Kovu felt aweful. At this point, Kovu hoped that Dumaka had run away; the other options were horrible to think about. He could be lost, and eventually die from starvation or exhaustion, or what about the night time predators. He could have been picked off by a Jackal. Kovu shivered just thinking about it.

All of this made him very angry at Amadi, even though he knew that it wasn't his son's fault; it was his fault for not believing him. But that was just the start of the problem, now he had to deal with Amadi's strange attraction to Ayo. He believed Dumaka now, out of fear and anger. He asked Amadi to follow him away from the pride so he could talk.

"Before Dumaka ran off he told me something, something that I didn't believe." He muttered, looking at Amadi. "He told me that he saw you and Ayo acting a bit too friendly with one another."

Amadi's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to talk, but couldn't think of anything to say. He sat down, his tail curling around him. "So it's true?" Kovu asked, his eye brows narrowed slightly.

Amadi nodded silently. He really did not know what to say at this point. He knew that his attraction to Ayo was unnatural as far as lions were concerned, but he couldn't help how he felt.

Glaring at his son Kovu shook his head. "I didn't believe him! I told him to stop lying or leave! But he wasn't lying… I refused to believe this nonsense, but it's true!" Kovu turned away from Amadi. "What is wrong with you?! Why can't you be… "

He stopped when he saw Amadi's face. Amadi was practically in tears, his ears back. But Amadi wasn't sad, he was angry. "I can't help what I am!" He shouted, his jaw trembling as he began to cry. "I don't know why I'm this way! I don't have a mane, I don't like to fight, and I really care for Ayo! And I don't know why! I am what I am!"

Kovu shook his head. "No, your going to stop this." Kovu said firmly, "Your going to stop this now. Your going to undergo much more training. And I don't want you hanging around Ayo anymore."

Amadi's eyes widened. "He is my only friend!" He shouted, his eyes angry and upset. "Your taking away my only connection to the lion world. What, would you rather me make friends with field mice like before?! Would you rather me follow my siblings around while they ridicule me! If you take Ayo from me I'll be alone. No one else cares!"

Kovu shook his head. "Were not discussing this anymore. Go back to the den, and sleep by your siblings." And with that firm dismissal, Kovu walked away from Amadi; leaving him to his tears.

Amadi wasn't like Dumaka, he wasn't strong or bold enough to run away. He sulked back to the den, right past Ayo, and found a place to sleep. It wasn't by Ayo, it wasn't by his siblings, it was behind a rock, away from everyone else. He felt so rejected, like a piece of rotten meat not fit to eat. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know how he was going to live. He needed Ayo…. He felt so alone.