It had been weeks since Niobe had decided to stay with Nieera and Namiya. Nala and the group were still searching for Simba, as were Kiara and Kovu for their own reasons. Rains quickly descended on the plains, slowing the Pride down.

Kovu and Kiara searched the Arosen Plains with their group, scared and worried.

"Namiya!" Kovu called but there was no answer from behind.

"Nieera! Please, come home! We love you!" roared Kiara. The search was quickly leading her to tears, anger and frustration.

"Niobe!" Shani felt she had to give up. Memories of her wonderful son had just made her cry. She seemed to assume that Namiya would lead him in doing this, as a boyfriend he would always accept. But she wouldn't tell, it was a secret she simply had to bottle up.

Zazu was also back in his job, each day bringing his daughter, training her to one day take his place as the majordomo. Zazu was getting old too. It was ages since his mother, Zuzu died. He used her as an example of being a majordomo.

Timon and Pumbaa had not been normal these days. They had disappeared for over a month and had only returned today.

"Where's Simba?" asked Timon searching the cave. "And... uh... the rest of the Pride?"

Zazu swooped in to reply, Dotty behind him.

"Simba has disappeared." he said.

"And Niobe, Nieera and Namiya have gone too." chimed in Dotty. "I have to take care of Nyota, Lekan and Angu."

"Who are they?" asked Pumbaa. He seemed to be hiding something behind him, and putting on a nervous face.

"Lekan is Muta's son, Angu and Nyota are Kovu and Kiara's litter." expalined Dotty. "And... what's behind your back?"

"NOTHING!" snorted Pumbaa. "GOTTA RUN! TIMON..."

"Oh, yeah! Um... Nice knowin' ya! We'll be gone for another month or two." And with that, the meerkat began to scutter away with the pig. But Dotty and Zazu were already in front of them.

Dotty began growling, she was going to find out.

With a sigh and knowing they had been beaten, Timon ordered Pumbaa to reveal what they had been hiding. Dotty and Zazu gasped and so did the cubs, once they were out of the den.

Niobe and Namiya was relaxing whilst Nieera was playing with her siblings. The couple had seemed distant for the first few weeks, not wanting to really spend time together. They were still in love, just distant.

Niobe lay on one side and Namiya lay across from him, as far as she could get. But she couldn't hold in the guilt for much longer. She rised onto her four paws and slowly made her way over to her mate.

"Niobe..." she began. "I'm sorry at yelling for you the other day."

"Me too. I should've understood." he apologized.

"I felt so bad for yelling at you," she sat next to him. "You still love me, don't you?"

"Of course I do. You're my number one girl." he smirked, then proceeding to licking her cheek.

"Do you think... do you think our moms are looking for us?" asked Namiya as she watched her sister play with the younger cubs.

"I think... My mom's sensitive when it comes to leaving me alone." explained Niobe.

"I'm sorry." she apologized once more, but Niobe hugged her.

"Don't be. I should have listened to you..."

Nala was searching and she came across a den. The den was small and cramped, and it seemed to have nobody in it.

"Simba?" she cooed as she poked her head in the cave. She entered the small den, cramping herself through little cracks and forcing herself in. Water dripping from above and landing on her as she crawled.

The place was beautiful. Gems stuck on each wall, glittering but in the distance laid a lion. She squinched. The lion was golden, though covered in mud. But it didn't take long for her to recognize who it was...

A loud roar erupted from the den, shaking everything in it. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as her blue orbs searched the lion.

Chapter 26! Thanks for reading! Please review! Hope you liked it! And... who do you think this lion is? Do you think he should die? Who took him in there?

Next chapter will reveal whether Vitani is preggers or not!