Here's chapter 17 and please review.

Nala was resting under a shady tree, with Kula dozing beside her. It was late morning. She was thinking.

"It's all I really do these days, isn't it? Questions and thinking." Nala thought, wistfully. Another memory echoed in her mind.

Flashback (to when Nala was an adolescent cub)

Runju and Nala were stargazing in the Meadow. Nala had a bit of a rough day. She, along with some other cubs had been taken on the hunt, with the hunting party, because they were beginning their hunting training.

Some of the male cubs, Moraan and Tojo had scared off the prey. Nala, Tama and Shinda had been blamed for it. The lionesses had lectured them for ten minutes before, the male cubs had admitted it was their fault. Nala, that evening had gone back into the den and told Runju all about her day. It was then, that Runju has suggested that they should go to the meadow.

"Dad, will we still be taken on hunts?" Nala asked.

"Of course, they still need to train you." Runju replied.

"I don't want to go." Nala mumbled.

"What?" Runju asked, "Why?"

"I don't want to be blamed for something I didn't do." Nala explained, looking into Runju's eyes.

Runju held her gaze for a minute. "Nala, listen to me." he said, softly.

Nala looked at him. Runju licked the top of her head and said, "If you didn't do anything wrong, you don't have to be scared. It's only if you did do something wrong that you should be scared. Otherwise, you don't have to be scared. Remember, good things happen to those who are good. Don't ever forget that."

Nala listened to her father's words carefully, realizing that he was right.

End of Flashback

Now, many years later, Nala still realized that he was right. She shouldn't be afraid, she hadn't done anything wrong. But, still there was a question, that she would probably never have an answer to.

"Who really murdered those lions and attacked our siblings?" Nala thought.

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Takita, and those of her family who were willing to come were ready to take off. She hadn't bothered trying to tell Mufasa. There was no way he would believe his brother would do such a thing. As they flew over the border, something seemed to tug at her heart. This was her home, and she promised herself, that in a few months she would return to see what had happened.

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Tojo was with Moraan and Alex. They had decided to follow Gurile around a bit, to see what she did during the day. The trio, silently stalked her from a distance away. Gurile made her way through the Pridelands. She stopped at a large flat boulder, and lay down on top of it. Soon, she was dozing.

"Now, what?" Alex whispered. "She could sleep for hours."

"I say," Tojo said in a low voice, "One of us stay here. One of us can go back to Priderock, and one of us in the middle. When Gurile wakes up, sprint back to me, and tell me. I'll go back and tell Alex, and he can gather some of the lionesses, to follow her, so we can take a break. After I tell Alex, I'll run back to Moraan, to help him just in case he loses sight of Gurile."

"I like it," Moraan whispered. "Alex?"

Alex nodded.

"Ok, then tell us when she wakes up." Tojo said. "Alex, let's go."

Alex and Tojo headed toward their places, and Moraan lay down in the tall grass as he waited.

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Takita flew with her family for a few days, across the barren Outlands. She knew there was good, rich land ahead.

"I see it!" came a cry.

Takita looked ahead to see the border of green grass.

"Let's go find someplace to rest." Tobi called, flying ahead.

After a while, her family settled down, and mostly everyone was asleep, tired from their long journey. She decided to fly around looking for some seeds to eat, and some to bring back for her chicks.

Takita was talking to herself as she flew and she hit a branch. Losing her balance she fell onto the ground. Fortunately, she wasn't injured. Suddenly, she heard a growl. She got back onto her wings and saw herself staring at two lions. The male looked very familiar. Suddenly she realized who it was.

She was looking into the eyes, of Mufasa's son, the former Prince Simba.

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Simba and Nala were talking through their new home, getting familiar to their new surroundings. Simba was leading Nala back to where they were yesterday, hoping for a replay of that. The sun had set, but the moon shone bright, illuminating the lands.

"Nala, when are you going hunting?" Simba asked, intertwining his tail in hers.

"This evening," Nala replied, as they approached a tree. "Why?"

Simba was about to answer, when they heard a small crash. Simba spun around, and they saw a little bird hovering a little above them. The bird looked at them for a minute, and Nala thought Simba was about to take a swipe at it, when the little bird stammered out. "Prince Simba?"

"Who are you?" Simba growled. "And how do you know me?"

"My name is Takita." the little bird said. "Me and my family just came from your father, King Mufasa's land."

"Why did you leave?" Nala asked. Animals rarely left the Pridelands, since it was so healthy and rich.

Takita looked at Simba. "Your Uncle Scar is planning on killing your family, and taking over the Pridelands."

"What?" Simba demanded.

" I overheard you Uncle talking about it with another lioness." Takita continued. "They-"

"What was the lioness' name?" Nala asked.

" I don't know. I didn't hear that properly."

"What did she look like?" Nala asked. She had a feeling she knew who it was.

Takita closed her eyes. "Rusty brown fur, large ears, a bit angled, blue eyes, a lot like yours and I haven't seen her around before."

Nala knew who she was describing and she knew that Simba knew as well.

"Gurile." she stated simply.

Takita looked at her. "It was something like that. I listened to them talking. They said something about setting the Pridelands on fire, and murdering all of your Pride. They have nearly a whole Pride on their side. I tried telling King Mufasa but he won't believe me. He won't believe that his brother would do something like that."

Nala was silent for a minute, still getting over the shock and taking in all the information Takita was telling her.

"Why does that no surprise me?" Simba growled. "If he doesn't believe his son, there is no way he would believe you."

"Simba, you must go back to the Pridelands and do something. Before it's too late." Takita begged.

"Why would I go back there?" Simba snarled. "They exiled us. Let the Pridelands be destroyed. Why should I care?"

"No!" Takita cried. "You can't let that happen!"

"Yes I should." Simba snarled. "Nala come on, let's go."

Nala didn't follow him. She was still thinking.

"Nala."Simba repeated, his voice louder. "Nala!" Nala didn't answer.

"I'm going. When you come to your senses, come and find me." Simba muttered and walked away.

Nala turned back to Takita, who was watching her hopefully.

"Do you know when they're planning on doing this? And who they're targeting besides the royal family?" Nala asked.

" Scar said, that they were going to strike in a couple days. And I heard that they were going to kill some other families along with yours, and some others." Takita replied.

Nala felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Her family. Her parents and little brother Hofu.

"Nala, please say that you are going to do something." Takita begged.

"Of course. I won't let my family and friends suffer, when I can do something. Especially now that I know, who probably committed those murders." Nala said.

"Thank you!" Takita gasped, looking over joyed.

"I have to go tell Kula and Chumvi." Nala said, and walked away.

She searched around a bit, and found her friends, arguing.

"Nala!" Kula exclaimed. "Please tell me you agree with the fact that we have to go back to the Pridelands and help."

"Of course, I do." Nala said, nodding.

"No, not you too." Simba sighed. "Why should we go back? They exiled us for something we didn't do."

"Because," Nala said, "That's our family."

"No they're not." Chumvi growled, his pine green eyes, flashing with anger. It was clear that he agreed with Simba. "I don't have a family back there."

"Then how about Tojo, Tama, Alex, Moraan, Shinda and all of our other friends? Don't you care about them?" Kula asked.

"I do." Simba sighed. "But I know that they are smart and strong enough to protect themselves. They'll find a way to survive."

"How about your family?" Nala asked. "Scar's planning on killing them."

Simba looked at her. "They had no problem just abandoning me and exiling me." He said bitterly, but his voice was a bit more soft. "I'm sorry, but nothing you two say is going to convince me to go back."

Kula looked at Chumvi. "Chumvi please-"

Chumvi cut her off. "I know why we have to go back. And I know that we should. But I don't want to. Like Simba says, they had no problem exiling and abandoning us."

Simba turned around and walked away. Nala stared after him, hopelessly.

"Well goodnight." Chumvi said gruffly and walked away. Kula looked at Nala, and then followed him.

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Simba was pacing the ground, furious. Why had his own uncle done something like this? He had murdered, with his allies and watched as he was blamed and exiled.

"We were family." Simba thought, and he felt his heart break.

"We shouldn't go back. They deserve a punishment."

"But that's our family."

"But they still don't deserve our help."

His thoughts were interrupted by Nala.

"Simba!" she called, approaching him. "Simba, please, listen to me." Nala begged.

"Nala, it's no use. They don't deserve our help." Simba said. He looked into her eyes. Nala's eyes reflected his grief.

"I know, but they're still our family, and they-" Nala began.

"No. I know they're our family. I don't care. Tojo, Alex and the others have each other." Simba said, cutting her off. ``Enough. I do not want to hear any more."

"Can you at least listen?" Nala snarled, anger flaring up in her chest. " Every time you cut me off and say enough. We only have a few days, from what Takita told me."

" I told you before, I will not do it." Simba stated.

"Don`t you get it?" Nala cried. "They need our help!"

"Yes, I get the fact that they need our help. I just won't go. That's my final answer. Now are you satisfied?" Simba said, in a dismissive tone.

"No," Nala snapped. "I'm just disappointed."

"You know," Simba growled, "You're starting to sound like my father."

"Good," Nala said. "At least one of is."

This set Simba off. "Look!" Simba roared. "If you love them so much, you can go! I'm staying right here!"

"Fine." Nala said. "I'll go. And I know Kula will come with me." With that, she turned and stormed away from Simba. Simba watched her go. He hadn't really meant for her to go. There was no way he would allow Nala to go, without him there to protect her. He started to go after her to apologize, but he knew she would be only be satisfied if he came, and Simba knew Nala needed some time alone.

He looked up into the stars. They were the same stars that shone down on the Pridelands.

"Are you watching us? Would you do what I'm doing, if you were put in my situation?" Simba thought, wishing his ancestors would come and help him.