CandyLuv99, yeah Zira and Tiifu are not going to be happy about Nala's adventure. But things are going to take a different turn. You'll see.

Enjoy

A Brighter Future

"Simba," Mufasa's deep voice echoed throughout the now dark vast savannah.

Simba looked up from the blades of grass that he so hard tried to hid in. With a shakey breath he stood and walked over to his parents. The golden cub steps into a depression, looking down he sees that his forepaw fits inside just the palmprint of his father's paw. A very tense moment for Simba as it comes across to the his realization that his father and mother could easily do much, much more than discipline. It also comes across that he has some rather big paws to fill and is only now realizing his true position. Simba looks up and, quite courageously, continues to come forward.

Mufasa and Kiara looks at one another for a few moments, not looking at their son. Then, finally, they turns to Simba. The king spoke first. "Simba, we're very disappointed in you" .

Simba folds his ears and says quietly and sadly. "I know."

Mufasa sighs before continuing. "You could have been killed. You deliberately disobeyed us. And what's worse, you put Alora in danger!"

Simba is on the verge of crying, his voice cracks. "I was just trying to be brave like the both of you."

Mufasa looked at Kiara before turning his amber eyes back to Simba and sighed heavily. "We're only brave when we have to be. Simba... being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."

Kiara seen Simba was on the verge of trying to say something so she intrupted, her emarald green eyes stern but still held the fear and worry she felt. "Simba, we're telling you this because we love you. Your father and I don't want to loose you."

"I know." the prince sighed.

Kiara sighed as well. "If something happened to you we don't know what we'd do. Look Simba, one day we won't be here, and we need you to take our place. You have a important part of the great Circle of Life."

"'Circle of Life' I know." Simba recited, getting annoyed with all the talk about becoming king. He felt ashamed for disappointing his parents but he was sure if he should be king.

"Exactly!" Kiara said with a deep breath. "And you need to be careful. As future king-"

"What if I don't want to be king?!" Simba pulled away from Kiara in protest.

Kiara breathed deeply. "That's like saying you don't want to be a Lion. It's in your blood, as I am and your father." Mufasa smiled at his mate before returning his eyes to Simba as Kiara continued. "We are a part of each other." the queen told her son, Simba humphed, before Kiara pushed him off the rock.

Kiara raised an eyebrow, before smiling cheekily. Simba smiled too, then rubbed his self against his mother. Mufasa laughed before the golden lion bent down and picks Simba up and starts giving him a noogie.

Simba screams before growling. "Oh no, no... Aaagh! Errrggh!"

Kiara laughs as Simba lands on the ground before him and Mufasa tussle playfully for a brief while.

"Oh, come here..." Kiara yelled as she joined the chase as Simba runs away. "Hah! Gotcha!"

They end up with Kiara lying down with Mufasa lying besides the queen and Simba on Kiara's head.

"Mom, dad?"

Kiara looks up a bit. "Hmm?"

"We're pals, right?"

Mufasa and Kiara chuckled. "Right."

Simba smiled before asking another question. "And we'll always be together, right?"

Mufasa looked towards Kiara before he inhaled and exhaled before looking towards the stars. "Simba, let me tell you something that your...your grandmother once told me. All the great kings of the past..."

Simba pinned his ears and tilted his head. "What about the queens?"

Kiara chuckled. "The queens too. They look down on us from those stars." Kiara remembered one of the nights Uru took her and Tiifu out into the kingdom and shared this lesson under the dozen of twinkling stars.

Simba looked at the stars with wonder and awe. "Really?"

Kiara nodded, not taking her eyes off the stars but there was a promise in her voice. "Yes... So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings and queens will always be there to guide you ..."

Mufasa smiled a promise in his voice as he joined his mate. "And so would we."

...

Sherise sat off to the side as she hopelessly watched her youngest sister get abused, both physically and verbally. They didn't ask for this life, while Nairn was fine with training to kill someone she and Kula wasn't. But Nala...had a soul that was bright and if their mother darkens it, it's no telling what kind of warth her little sister will unleash. The four month dark brown cub moved her dark purple eyes from her mother and Tiifu's retreating forms before running over to her weeping sister.

"Nala,"

The peachy cream cub looked up with puffy, teary eyes. "Sherise? I..."

Sherise laid and cuddled her sister. "Don't worry. We won't have to go this anymore."

Nala looked at her oldest half sister in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sherise sighed before nuzzling her sister. "We're going to run away. To the Pridelands,"

Nala gasped before shaking her head. "The king and queen will kill us!" fresh tears started to fall.

Sherise took a deep breath. "You saw the bad side of the Pridelands monarchs. But they are kind and understanding, better than our mothers. I hate to admit, but we have family. The king and queen is your and Nairn's aunt and uncle. The king is my uncle as well and Kula and I have a aunt as well as a grandmother there. I know you're not sure but it beats here."

Nala looked away as she thought about what her sister said. As her eyes scanned their home, she seen the living conditions of their home wasn't pretty. Unlike the Pridelands, plus she'll give anything to see Simba again.

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"Tonight, when our mothers go for a their weekly meetings with the Eastern kings." Sherise said standing and walking towards the mound where Kula was resting after her very harsh training session with their own mother.

As soon as the sky over the Outlands turned almost pitch black with a small amount of stars shining through the thick atmosphere of the barren lands. Sherise was awoke with Kula and Nala on either side of her. Zira and Tiifu had left not too long ago to meet the Eastern kings.

"Kula, Nala. Get up, we got to go." Sherise whispered as she nudged her sisters awake.

Kula lifted her head with a sleepy and scared expression. "You sure about this, Reese?"

Sherise gave the pale brown cub a resurring nuzzle. "Only one way to find out. And if we get caught then we'll never find out."

Nala sat up with her ears against her head. "I don't know..."

Sherise and Kula were already heading towards the mound entrance when the dark brown cub turned to face her youngest sister. "I wasn't going to say anything yet but our mothers bargained the three of us to Prince Voldemort, King Scar and King Kovu to further and continue their alliance."

Nala and Kula's eyes widened as tears started to form as they realized their fates. They knew that whatever happens it would be a better life than what they're facing. Standing, Nala followed her sisters into the dark barren lands. When they got far enough they took off into a run. Praying to get far away before anyone notices their gone.