A/N:

Okay! Here's your monthly update! I would have updated last Wednesday, but I wanted to pre-write out the next several chapters and I wasn't going to post this until I did. ;)

Frost, overnight, had settled on the grass, chilling it and turning it white. The idea that she had to leave her warm spot on the ground made Tanga bury her face deeper into her paws. Bodies around her were beginning to stand up and mill around. They would be leaving soon.

A muzzle nudged her near her ear, causing her to groan. It surprised her when she heard her father's voice.

"Time to wake up."

Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at him with an arched brow. The dark-maned lion was standing over her, the pale, morning sky behind him. He was smiling.

Maybe I don't wanna wake up.

Her father chuckled and bent down to nudge her cheek again. "Are you sore?"

"A little, I guess."

"Don't worry, our pace can be slower today. We're not too far from the herds, Natin says."

Maybe I don't wanna do what Natin says...

Before her expression could change and again give her thoughts away, she forced a smile. "Don't think we have to go slow just because of me," she quipped.

He chuckled.

She sat up and stretched. Looking around, she spotted Asuma sitting at the edge of the group. When he looked back at her with a forced-into-patience look on his face, she felt her lip twitch in irritation.

"The sunrise looks beautiful this morning. Doesn't it?"

Tanga turned back to her father and saw that his face was turned to the east. The sky was pale golden-yellow with a hint of pink. The purple-rimmed clouds were stained in a darker shade of tawny gray. On the cool air she could hear birdsong.

By the next sunrise...

"I'll make sure Chaka gets what's coming to him. Won't that be a relief?"

When her breathing stopped for a second, she was relieved that he wasn't looking at her face. "Yeah," she managed to reply. "It's... it's been rough on Asuma."

Her father sighed deeply, as if he had been holding his breath, too, before receiving her answer. "Well... I'm hoping it'll get easier for Asuma," he said. Then he added, "I'll make sure of that, too."

Behind her, Tanga heard someone softly clear his throat. When she looked over her shoulder and saw it was Natin, she frowned at him. As quietly as possible, she whispered, "What do you want?"

He mouthed, "Talk. Now."

She shook her head.

A look of irritation crossed her cousin's face. His brow lowered into a firm, pointed glare, his mouth then setting into a thin line.

Her stomach started to ache as she stared back at Natin. Knowing full-well that he wasn't leaving until he knew she was following after him, she glanced at her father. He hadn't taken his eyes off the sunrise. She looked back at Natin, who arched his brows and jerked his head.

What do you want?

With one last brief glance at an oblivious Kovu, biting her lip, she turned to follow Natin.

Moving to walk at her side, he whispered, "The plan has changed."

She narrowed her eyes, refusing to look at him. Reluctantly, she asked, "How so?"

He was leading her towards Asuma. "For the better."

"And what's that mean?"

"Kovu came to me and Asuma with a proposal last night."

"Since he's still alive," she began cuttingly, "I bet you'll say you liked his proposal."

He gave a soft growl. "Yeah," he replied. "We're ditching the lionesses."

Her stomach flip-flopped. "We're what?"

"Shhh!" Natin hissed. "Keep your voice down."

By now, they'd made it over to Asuma. Her brother stood up. "Are you telling her the plan?"

"Just about to."

Tanga then glanced over her shoulder, looking for her father. He was done looking at the sunrise, but seemed to be distracted by Sauda.

"Tanga."

She turned back to her brother and cousin. "Huh?"

Asuma motioned with a nod to their father. "Listen closely and ignore him," he instructed. "We're not making our move during the hunt anymore."

She frowned, perking her ears. "When then?"

"Your father's big plan," Natin began, "is to disappear into the herd and then the four of us will make a break to the river. He's coming with us, but then we can isolate him between the river and the Pride Lands. He trusts us more than I thought, and he plans leave the pride alone and go for Chaka."

So you're gonna exploit that trust.

"You'll tell me when and I'll run," she said, raising her chin slightly, "and then you'll do... you know. Quickly. Decisively."

Natin was biting his tongue when all he did was nod at her remark.

"Yes, you'll wait for the signal," Asuma told her. "Nothing else changes for you. Natin and I will take care of everything. Right?"

"Yeah..." Natin replied. It was obvious when he glanced down at his paws. "...Right."

Asuma lowered his voice, coming closer. He looked at them both. "We're all in this together. We're almost there. Don't give up on this now."

Tanga noticed when he straightened up that Natin ever-so-slightly leaned away from her brother.

Asuma continued. "We'll move on and in time everybody will gladly forget about this."

Tanga knew then the Asuma she'd known back in the Pride Lands had only been a fraction of the young lion she knew now, and she sensed there was still more behind the face he chose to show her. The face that kept her ignorant. She knew there was more.

You think everyone will forget, Asuma, she thought to herself, and I can guarantee the one lion who deserves to forget the most will never let any of this go.

"Kovu is looking right at us. It must be time to go."

Natin immediately stood up, his attention already elsewhere. He said quickly as he walked away, "I'll go tell him Tanga's heard the plan now."

Tanga raised a brow at Natin's abruptness. She then glanced at Asuma, who's narrowed gaze was focused on their cousin's back. She asked quietly, "Did you two... have an argument?"

Blinking and lightening his expression, Asuma shook his head. "No. I think he's nervous or something. I thought he was acting odd, too."

"Oh... I guess..." Tanga frowned thoughtfully. Surely, she hadn't been imagining what she'd observed? She knew Natin was upset with her after their fight, but the way he had reacted to Asuma's presence made her curious. There was a lump in the pit of her stomach. She sensed that she had been lied to, but before she could question him further, Asuma was already walking away.

88888

Behind Chaka, he could hear heavy, collective panting. He had instructed the lionesses to take a break from battle training, and was walking back to the den to make sure that Kiara and Suki hadn't slipped inside to rest after disappearing with the cubs all morning.

He'd never seen such reckless behavior.

I don't know where they are- they could be dead for all I know!

He stood at the mouth of the den and peered inside, squinting with his good eye. He perked his ears and flared his nostrils. The interior was dark, and as he went in further, there was a definite drop in temperature.

The hair along his spine stood on end when he heard the shuffling of paws and thought he saw a shadowy figure move.

He snarled, his whole body on edge. "Who's there?"

His claws slid out of his toes.

"Don't worry." The lanky figure started towards him. The sound of a dull thud of a stick bounced off the rock walls. "I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me."

"Tswane," Chaka said neutrally, though he felt his muscles relax. He watched skeptically as the mandrill shaman half-walked, half-hopped out of the shadows. "If you expected me to hurt you, you shouldn't hide in the dark," he added.

"What made you think I'd let you hurt me?"

Chaka felt his lip twitch, not in a grimace or a frown, but in a smirk. To hide his amusement, he growled and rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

The mandril crossed his feet at his ankles and leaned into his staff. One of his paws was wrapped around the very top, just above the dried gourds and decorated it. "I came to check on my pride," he said. "I've heard you currently have them on a exercise program."

"It's necessary, and I'm not gonna justify it to you because you already know my reasoning."

"Though must it be so brutal?"

"Of course!" Chaka lashed his tail. "Without preparation, we'll be torn to pieces. They may complain- but they know I'm right."

"Ah," Tswane said musingly. He diverted his attention to pick at a loose tendril on his staff. "I see now."

Curling his lip, Chaka turned to look out from the mouth of the den. Down below Pride Rock, he could see the lionesses. Young and old, they were all lying down, and the majority were resting on their sides with their legs splayed out. Some had their eyes closed. He had been drilling them since the sun had risen just above the line of the horizon. It was a little after midday now.

"Are you here to taunt me?" he asked Tswane. "If that's you're only reason, I ask you to leave."

"No, no, I'm not all about the taunting. I have other business, too."

Chaka's jaw tensed. "Then speak."

"Queen Kiara came to me this morning. Before sunrise. She had another lioness and two cubs with her."

"Where are they now? Did they tell you?"

"Yes, they told me," Tswane said. "They've gone to visit Tojo's pride in the south."

Chaka frowned in thought. "Well, why would they do that? Tojo turned me down. I know she knows that because she complained about it."

"That, I cannot tell you."

"What?" His face flushed in anger when he sent a wilting glare over his shoulder at the irritatingly unfazed mandrill. There were few Chaka couldn't get a rise out of to match him, and Tswane was just grinning goofily back at him. "What do you mean you're not gonna tell me?"

"Not 'not gonna'," Tswane explained with a shrug, "I can't because Kiara didn't tell me."

He scoffed at this. Figures.

The mandril rubbed his chin and took a few steps closer. He rolled a long finger in a curl of dark fur. "I'd bet she has some sort of a plan."

Turning his back on his unwelcome guest, he couldn't help himself when he sneered, "Right." He glared sightlessly out across the savannah, his ears pressed into his mane.

"It's a real shame, Chaka, that you don't trust her." The wooden thump of the staff announced his approach. He stopped at Chaka's side.

"I give her all the trust that she deserves," Chaka replied levelly.

"So she only deserves a little?"

"Her mate wants to kill me- he already took one of my damned eyes- and all responsibility of protecting this pride fell on me when he left. This is my inheritance," he replied. Stubbornly, he continued to glare straight ahead at nothing in particular. "How I ran things around here seemed perfectly okay with her up until her children decided to run off. All of a sudden now she acts like she cares, and when she cares, it's to tell me that I'm wrong, but doesn't bother to say why."

"Do you ask her to speak freely?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, do you ever ask for her council? Is her advice so unwarranted? Would she listen to you if you told her what you just told me?"

He hesitated. His gaze dropped to his paws. "A few days ago, we talked," he began, "and I asked her to tell me how she makes decisions. I know I was too vague, but she didn't tell me what I was doing wrong, how to fix the situation. I didn't understand, even when she told me that she does what she thinks is right for everybody. Then she said something about not being selfish- I don't know... And yet she's upset with me for wanting to kill Kovu. She thinks I'll destroy myself. But he's a threat to everybody, so I'm doing what I think is right. I'm protecting everything my father worked for. But then it's wrong. I can't win."

"Do you think you're wrong?"

Adamantly, he shook his head. He wasn't sure why he had opened up to Tswane like he had.

Tswane started to chuckle.

Chaka's eyes snapped to glower at the shaman, who was practically shaking with laughter. He snapped, "Are you laughing at me?"

Tswane put a paw on his trembling chest. Slowly, he calmed his chuckling. "Forgive me, Chaka," he said with a sigh. He was grinning as he said, "You say that you're right, and yet you ask her for the answers. You're changing, but at the same time you refuse to change."

The big lion glared harder at the mandrill.

Tswane rubbed the corner of his eye. "I think that you think she's holding out on you... maybe for Kovu's benefit."

His lip began to twitch.

Tswane grinned wider. He swung his stick so that it poked Chaka in the chest. "What would you say if I told you that she's not holding out on you because she doesn't know the right answers herself? And maybe now she's going to find them?"

Chaka blinked. Was it possible?

He then looked away.

"I have my doubts," he muttered.

The tension in the cave rose, and Tswane refused to break the silence for several long moments before the mandrill finally, cautiously, placed a paw on the big lion's shoulder.

"Look, Chaka," he said quietly. "I don't know as much about your past as Rafiki did, but I know you were not raised here. This is your life now, and you can choose who you want to be."

Chaka gritted his teeth and wrinkled his nose despite the feelings that told him he should listen more closely to Tswane. "I choose... I choose to protect this pride. Any way possible."

Tswane's paw slid down his shoulder until it resumed its light grip on his staff. There was a quiet sigh, perhaps of defeat, from the mandril.

For a moment, the urge arose to say something to Tswane. Chaka could see what the mandrill was doing, and he knew he was purposely lowering his discretion about it. He was forcing him to think. Chaka closed his eyes and remained silent instead.

He'd been an amnesiac. The pride that had raised him had thought he was stupid and hadn't treated him any differently from the day they'd found him until the day he decided he'd had enough and had departed. He also knew they'd treated him differently purely because he was the token outsider. But, aside from expecting the most he could give them, to not be a burden, they hadn't been especially cruel to him. He had endured less cruelty, in fact, than the other young lions who'd been born into the warrior pride. To them, he'd just... existed. At times, they'd gone out of their way to remind him they were doing him a favor by allowing him to live, but to that day he wasn't sure why they'd been so tolerant of him. If he'd become a burden, however, he knew without a doubt they would've abandoned him. He'd learned quickly to earn his keep.

Looking back, he knew food, water, and protection hadn't been enough to satisfy all the needs of a young, albeit confused, lion. One or two lionesses had played foster parents, but it hadn't been customary for mothers in the pride to show their own cubs affection. Emotions were seen as a weakness and were discouraged.

Once you start thinking with your heart it all blows up in your face...

The pride had been split into two; all males and very few select female warriors kept to themselves while the rest of the pride was responsible for the care of the youngest members in the pride. He remembered that at about a year old, male and female cubs alike were sent to train with their elders. After a few months, the softer females went back to their mothers.

A warrior was a warrior for life. Even though he had wanted it, Chaka had been exempt from the training because of who he was, but he'd been allowed to learn from the females who had done the training. This had frustrated him, but left him less hardened than his peers. The realization dawned on him then that, what had been most glaring, was that he'd been emotionally starved. He'd been raised as a warrior, but hadn't been allowed to be one. From the time he'd had with his mother, he knew that some warmth and kindness had been instilled in him as a young cub, but he knew that hadn't been enough.

I'm damaged...

The decorations on Tswane's staff rattled and clanked. "I know it's just a piece of a tree, but I'm proud of this staff."

Chaka opened his eyes and raised a brow. "Yeah? So? It was Rafiki's, wasn't it? I remember him carrying it."

Tswane nodded. "Yes." The mandrill turned over the staff and cradled it between his upturned palms. "Actually, it was Rafiki's master's before it was mine, and Rafiki's master's master's before him, and... you get the picture."

"Could probably find a sturdier stick than that." Chaka eyed it, observing the mottled orange of the dried gourds and the aged look of the dark wood. His eyes then met Tswane's as he added, "And it's not really yours."

Slowly, Tswane nodded in agreement. "I could throw it away, Chaka, and make a new one; keep it for myself." The end of the staff plonked on the rock with a thud. "But I won't, and chances are I'll pass it down from here as well. Sometimes it's better that way. Truthfully, this stupid, meaningless stick reminds me of Rafiki, and I know he wouldn't have given it to me if he didn't think I should have it. I never touched it until he gave it to me on his deathbed... well, that's a lie, but it was more like the staff touched me every time he caught me trying to grab it," the mandrill chuckled. "Do you know he beat Scar's hyenas with this?"

Chaka's brow raised skeptically. "Really?"

Tswane nodded and smiled. After a moment, he then turned and stepped out of the den. "Enjoy the rest of the day, Chaka."

Chaka's jaw tensed, but he forced himself to issue a farewell. "You, too."

The mandrill then paused and looked over his shoulder. Gesturing the spinning wave of a long finger, he added, "Oh, and promise me you'll welcome your sister back with open paws?"

Chaka hesitated. "I'll think about it."

Shrugging and lifting his paws, Tswane continued down the side of Pride Rock. "With you, that's a good enough response for me."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes while he watched the mandrill quickly disappear from sight. He then turned his attention back to the lionesses below, and saw they were exactly as they had been before.

Grimacing to himself, Chaka sat down.

They can rest a little longer.

88888

"And then... I jumped on him! He was so surprised! He didn't even see me comin'! Well, later he told me he did, but I know he's lying. He's a very good stalker, too, but I'm better! If I can't play with my brother, I like to stalk butterflies. Did you stalk 'em when you were a cub? Do you still stalk 'em? That would be funny! They're pretty hard to stalk."

A brown-and-gray-maned lion with golden fur smiled thinly and nodded his head. "Uh-huh..."

The blue-feathered bird on lion's shoulder rolled its eyes.

Kiara hid a smile when she glanced at Suki, who sat next to the queen with Neo at her paws.

Early that morning, before Chaka had even risen, Kiara had woken Suki and asked her to follow her. She had also asked her to bring Isabis and Neo with her. Sneaking out of the Pride Lands, the two lionesses had returned to one of the nearby prides that had turned Chaka away. At first, the dominate male, Tojo, had asked immediately upon sight for them to leave, but when he'd seen how tired Neo and Isabis looked, he'd allowed them to stay long enough to rest. It hadn't taken much for Isabis to perk back up, and now she had the aging lion's full, if not reluctant, attention.

"Why are we doing this, Kiara? I thought you disliked Chaka for involving the other prides."

"Chaka needs help. The presence of Tojo's force may make my brother more confident and willing to negotiate with Kovu if he has numbers on his side. If anything, it would make it easier to scare away the lionesses Tswane told us about if they get a look at the size of the pride. No matter what, we can't do this alone. We have to keep trying."

"I hope you're right."

"I hope so, too."

"What kinds of things do you like to do, King Tojo? Like for fun?" Isabis then sprang to her paws, whipping her tail playfully. "Sometimes," she went on as she started to spin around, "I like to chase my tail, loike dis!"

"Very nice," Tojo remarked. "Now-"

As he stood up, the bird on his shoulder whispered something in his ear. Tojo whispered something back to his majordomo that Kiara couldn't hear.

"Hey!" Isabis exclaimed. She skidded to a stop at Tojo's paws. "Hey! Can I play with your bird? Is there more? I've heard you got lots more. Please?"

Tojo chuckled, taking a step back, but in the same motion he raised a paw to ruffle the top of the young lioness's head. "She certainly has a lot of energy."

Isabis ducked away from the king's paw with a shake of her head. "Hey! Can I play with that bird now?"

"Isabis, why don't you come over here?" Suki called her daughter.

"Awe," Isabis protested, her eyes locked on the fidgeting bird. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, please."

"Suki," Kiara said. She leaned into the younger lioness's ear. "I'm going to try speaking to Tojo."

Suki wrapped a paw around Isabis' shoulder when she finally came to her mother. Nodding, Suki stood and led the cubs away, leaving Kiara alone with a frowning Tojo.

Kiara wondered then if her idea had really been so great.

"I'm not stupid," Tojo scoffed when Suki and the cubs were scarcely out of earshot. "Your tactics are very obvious."

The young queen sighed. "I can't deny what you must think."

Tojo shook his head, making a face. "Does your brother know the meaning of the word no?"

Kiara did her best to hold the older lion's gaze. "I came by my own accord. If you say 'no' to anyone now, it's me."

Tojo blinked and frowned. "He didn't send you?"

"I'm just as capable as he is in the affairs of the pride," she replied amicably. She paused. "We still need your help, Tojo."

"You're just as capable at hearing my refusal then. Here, I'll say it again: no." Tojo shook his head. "Sending any one of my subjects to someone as temperamental as Chaka would be the quickest way to have them massacred."

Inwardly, Kiara cringed. She wondered what kinds of things Chaka had let fly when he'd heard Tojo's refusal.

The brown-maned lion lifted a paw to turn away from her.

"Wait! What if you don't have to deal with him, only me?"

"I won't help you either. I'm sorry."

"What if I wasn't looking for someone to fight our battle for us?"

"How are we of any use then?" He didn't bother to glance over his shoulder. "Did you get rid of Chaka?" he scoffed.

"No." She knew it would irritate the lion more to follow him, but she was too determined to give up. "I propose that you help me to help Chaka negotiate with Kovu. I can't let them draw blood."

The bird, now perched on Tojo's rippling back, mirrored the glare the lion shot over his shoulder. "I dun think y'know how war works, young lioness," the bird told her. "Blood's what th'whole affair's about."

Her face flushed when she glowered at the cheeky bird. "Yes, I know I'm still young, and I know I've never formally fought another lion in battle," she replied, "but I know the power of words. I also know that I owe it to Chaka to stop him from killing Kovu. He'll go mad if he does."

"You really are against him, aren't you?"

"No," she said firmly. "I'm helping him."

I have to try and save somebody...

"Let him help himself. If I were him, I would find what you're doing to be rather demeaning. He's a king after all."

Kiara's eyes widened. "So because he has a mane I'm supposed to sit back and let him and Kovu kill each other? And since when are kings too mighty to need help?"

Tojo paused and turned to look at her.

On his shoulder, the bird was leaning away. It said in a voice just above a whisper, "Sire, m'thinks you mistepped..."

It was surprising when the old lion's haughty expression turned to one of shame. His ears lowered. "I don't mean it like tha-"

"I know you knew my grandmother, Queen Sarabi," Kiara cut him off. "What would she do if you'd said that to her?"

Tojo seemed to cringe at her question, but after a moment he pointed out angrily, "For one thing, she would've come alone, Queen Kiara. Your parents wouldn't come to beg me, either."

A crease of uneasiness formed between her eyes as she held his glare. Under her fur she was blushing. Her jaw was tense when she said quietly, "I don't mean to beg... I really don't..." She shook her head, irritated at herself. "I thought you... could be more understanding. The others didn't know my parents as well as you did."

It felt like Tojo was looking down his nose at her. "Your parents knew how to solve their own problems. That's what I know."

She forced herself to say it out loud. "I can't solve this on my own, but at least I'm trying to. I'm not them. It's so much bigger than me, and this is the only way I know to help my pride. Repeatedly I'm treated to insults, however, instead of useful advice that could help out my pride."

"What about your shaman?"

"He won't interfere... or he might only know as much as I do."

Tojo's mouth pressed into a thin line. "Then what can I say? I can't read your mind."

She was glad he couldn't. She still didn't know what to say at first when she opened her mouth and was surprised by what came out. "I'm still getting used to trying again... honestly," she admitted. "I've given up for a long time. I thought the stars would align and you'd say something terrific that would answer any question I could think of. But there are no questions for you because I don't know what to ask or how to ask it."

Both Tojo and the bird seemed to do a double-take. "You don't know why you're truly here, do you?"

The blue-eyed king then gestured with a tip of his chin.

"You brought that mother and her cubs with you. Why, Kiara?"

It took her a moment, averting her eyes from his accusing expression, to reply. "They're only part of it. I know what it looks like," she said, her voice quiet, "but I'd like to appeal to you not to give me sympathy, but to take my friend's cubs in. After my children and my nephew, who are missing right now, they're next in line for the throne. They're also the two of youngest members of our pride. Can you protect them?"

Tojo's jaw fell slightly. He looked from her to Suki, who was playing with her cubs.

"Please? Can't I ask you to do this one thing for my pride?"

His eyes narrowed slightly when he tilted his head to the side, searching for a trick he might be missing. "That's all you ask for at this time?"

She nodded. "I've already asked you everything else that I can ask."

Slowly, he began to nod. "Yes... I can protect them. But it's her decision."

Kiara's eyes widened. A heaviness seemed to lift off her chest. Her failure hadn't been total. Whispering her gratitude, she jogged over to the little family.

Suki frowned and her eyebrows arched in concern when she noticed Kiara. "He's asked us to leave?"

Realizing she was still in a daze, Kiara forced herself to smile. "He's turned me down... but..." Her smile started to soften. Glancing down at her paws, she then gestured with a jerk of her head as she turned back towards Tojo. "He has an offer for you, Suki."

The younger lioness tilted her head, her eyes widening. "Me?"

"Yes, come with me."

Looking at her children, who had paused to eye them curiously, Suki faltered.

Kiara renewed her smile. "It's alright. C'mon."

Still reluctant, Suki followed her to Tojo. When she grew closer to the golden-furred lion, she lowered her head slightly and looked anxious. "You wanted to see me, King Tojo?"

"Yes, I do," the lion said. He then nodded curtly to Kiara. "Your friend asks me to provide a safe haven for your cubs."

Suki gasped quietly, her ears perking.

"But only if you agree," he continued. "Keeping you from them isn't my intention."

Wide-eyed, Suki turned to Kiara. "Really? They could stay here?"

Kiara smiled. "Do you want that, Suki?"

Nodding vigorously, Suki's muzzle broke into a smile. "Yes, their safety means everything to me." Her grin widened. "Thank you."

Tojo gave Kiara a fleeting glance. "Will you stay with them here?"

At his question, the smile melted from her face. "I... I-I don't know..."

Kiara moved closer. "Stay with them, Suki. They need you."

A crease formed between the lioness's eyes. "I... I'm so grateful for this opportunity, but... my pride needs me more. It'd be selfish to stay, Kiara."

Kiara and Tojo both looked at each other. They easily saw the conflict in the young mother's eyes.

Finally, Tojo said, "If you change your mind, we'd gladly have you, too."

Silently, looking at the ground, Suki nodded. She then looked up. "Please, I'll need a moment with them."

"Of course," Kiara told her, smiling softly. She then watched as the young mother jogged back to her cubs and embraced them both the best she could. They weren't so little anymore, after all.

"I hope you don't think I'm heartless. I... I must apologize for my harshness. I wasn't very diplomatic at all."

Kiara made a little face at Tojo's quiet comment. "Neither was I," she replied. "I was more than ill-prepared, and you did already give us your final answer." After a moment, she added, "I should also apologize on Chaka's behalf."

Tojo gave her a wan smile. He replied, "He's under a lot of pressure. It's forgivable this time."

The silence that ensued announced that there was no more to be said. With a nod, Kiara said good-bye to Tojo and walked over to Suki. The lioness was talking quietly to her cubs and though Kiara couldn't see her face, from the sound of her sniffling she could tell she was crying. Kiara paused a few lengths behind the small family to give them space. It only took Suki a moment to look over her shoulder and smile softly at her queen. The cubs then saw Kiara as well and dashed over to her, their faces equally emotional.

"Momma says we're goin' to be safe here," Isabis chirped. "Will we, Kiara? Will we?"

Kiara gave them a sweet smile. "What? Don't you believe your own mother?" she gently teased.

Isabis thought for a moment. "I wanna second opinion. Oh, so does Neo, too."

Kiara licked the top of Isabis's head. "These lions will take good care of you both."

For a moment, Isabis still looked reluctant, but then something caught her eye behind Kiara, and she leaned around the lioness to get a better look. An amused smile stretched across the muzzle of the young lioness. "Hey, they've got cubs here, too! They're our age, Neo!" Isabis then twisted around and bounced to her paws. "Mom, can we go play with them? Please?"

Still misty-eyed, Suki nodded and gave her daughter and son one last lick on the tops of their heads. "Go enjoy yourselves. I'll see you soon."

Wide-eyed, Isabis eagerly leaped away. "C'mon, Neo!"

Neo was more hesitant, but he started to jog after his sister. After he'd made it a few lengths away, he paused, looking over his shoulder.

"Good-bye, Momma. Bye, Queen Kiara."

The two mothers gave their replies as well, and when Neo had turned towards his sister, they began to head back to the Pride Lands. Kiara estimated at the slower pace they were sure to travel at, they wouldn't reach the border until long after nightfall.

It wasn't until they'd walked several miles when Kiara opened her mouth to offer some words of comfort to Suki. The lioness had been silent since they'd departed.

"Suki, I-"

Suddenly, the younger lioness's head shot up, her ears perked. "Do you hear that?"

They stopped in their tracks, and Kiara listened as well. Faintly, she thought she heard someone calling her name.

It was Suki who looked up to the sky. "Isn't that Tojo's bird?"

Kiara followed Suki's line of vision and squinted. Soon enough, the bird was close enough to clearly make out what it was saying.

"Wait! Wait!" The bird fluttered to the ground, breathing heavily. It was struggling to speak.

Kiara glanced at Suki, and she knew instantly that they shared the same expression of alarm. Stepping towards the bird, Kiara told it to calm down and take its time.

"Nononono... I... I've news for y'from King Tojo," it stammered. Taking a deep airy sigh, it then continued. "Says he'll think about it."

Kiara's breath hitched in her throat. "Really?" she exclaimed.

The blue bird nodded furiously. "Yes, yes. I'll bring y'his verdict by next sunrise. No sooner, no later."

She thought she would leap out of her own fur at the news. There was a tenderness in her jaw. Her first instinct was to thank the bird and to send her gratitude to Tojo, but it didn't feel right saying such things when Tojo's promise in itself had promise of possible failure. Though she couldn't stop smiling, she nodded curtly to the bird. "I'll look forward to seeing you again and hearing from Tojo, whatever his decision."

"Yes, yes, right." The bird puffed its feathers, still panting.

Kiara glanced at Suki briefly, then back down at the exhausted bird. "You're in no condition to fly right now. We'll stay with you until you can actually breathe again."

The bird nodded and sat on its feet with another heavy breath. "Thank you. It's appreciated."

Kiara's smile widened again.

Maybe I've still got a chance yet...

88888

The closer the sun got to the horizon, the higher his spirits rose. His heart seemed to swell in his chest, and the energy pulsed out to his tired limbs, like the energy a tree derived from its leaves traveled down its trunk and settled in its roots. There were a few times during the last stretch of the trek to the herds when he'd had to stop himself when the corners of his mouth had started to turn up. Sauda wouldn't have bothered herself to flash a glance in her leader's direction, but he wouldn't let anything, even the ghost of a smile, ruin his chances of finally facing Chaka.

They'd been resting a few hours when night finally fell. The lionesses grew increasingly agitated and eager to push the hunt into motion, and were play-fighting. In the distance, they could hear the woops and cries of hoofed animals. The insects, which buzzed in his ears, were extra agitated as well. Before Sauda herself returned to pester him, Kovu pulled his children to the side.

"Are you ready?" he asked. They were sitting opposite him. He then gave Asuma a pointed look. "Both of you?"

The young lion nodded solemnly. "Yes, we're ready. You do not have to worry."

Kovu allowed a smile this time. He was proud of his cubs. He was giving them the opportunity to succeed, and together they would set everything right again. He also couldn't help but notice the bit of irony that revolved around the hunt itself. Half his problems had started when Asuma had found him after getting lost in a hunt- a hunt he should have been there for. Instead, he'd been too wrapped in his responsibilities... and later... his secrets.

I guess it's all kinda coming full-circle...

Kovu turned his ear to the soft growl that Natin gave when he joined them.

Stopping next to Tanga and glaring over his shoulder, Natin muttered, "Not one of them has not asked me when we're gonna start."

Kovu made a face. "Let them ask. They don't have to wait for much longer. Once we're clear on what we need to do, we can start. Natin, we need to be discrete."

His nephew nodded. Looking at Tanga and Asuma, he said, "I think you two might wanna bring down some prey. If you do, the lionesses will be drawn to the kill when your father and I sneak off."

Kovu nodded his approval. "I don't think they'll wonder too much about where you've gone." He curled his lip. "The opportunity to eat has yet to stop them. Even if they do notice immediately, we'll have enough of an advantage. Then we'll run against the bank."

Asuma nodded as well, his jaw tensing. "Alright."

Tanga's ears perked. "Where's the meeting spot, Natin?"

"The river," Natin answered, dropping his voice, "it's less than a mile from here. From where we are, it's that way." He pointed with his muzzle to Tanga and Asuma's right. "When we're in position before you start, I'll show you again. You don't wanna get yourselves turned around. If anything, you can follow the river until you find a pride you can ask directions from if we're separated and you can't find the Pride Lands on your own."

"Don't worry, that won't happen," Asuma said, sending a quick glance at his paws. His flinty gaze then refocused on his father.

Kovu wondered if his son was thinking about his traumatizing past, all of which he was responsible for. Inwardly, he cringed. His heart started to race.

It's all coming full-circ-

"Kovu, I think it's time."

His blinked when he heard Natin's voice. He stood up and gestured with his head. "Right. Let's go."

A/N: I hope to have an update soon. As promised by this last section, action is sure to come and I'll get right into it with the next chapter. If I don't update by the weekend, I wish you all a happy New Years! :D